Trends in injecting and non-injecting drug use behaviours, using 13 620 visits of 996 drug users in the Amsterdam Cohort Study
86–88 | 89–90 | 91–92 | 93–94 | 95–96 | 97–98 | Yr | Yr2-150Yr | ||
Injecting status (%) | |||||||||
never | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 21 | |||
stopped | 22 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 42 | |||
current | 66 | 64 | 59 | 55 | 47 | 36 | NS | 2-160 | |
Transitions injecting: (%)2-151 | |||||||||
initiation | 4.1 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2-150 | NS | |
cessation | 10.0 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 11.0 | 13.3 | 17.1 | NS | 2-165 | |
relapse | 21.3 | 20.1 | 19.3 | 16.9 | 13.4 | 11.8 | 2-165 | NS | |
Injecting behaviours: (%)2-152 | |||||||||
Main type: | heroin | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 24 | ||
cocaine | 9 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 2-160 | NS | |
speedballs | 61 | 56 | 60 | 59 | 51 | 45 | |||
other | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 13 | |||
⩾2 injections/day | 39 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 25 | 22 | 2-165 | NS | |
All needles at exchange | 57 | 65 | 66 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 2-165 | 2-165 | |
Non-injecting use: (%) | |||||||||
heroin: | <daily | 34 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 43 | 42 | 2-165 | 2-165 |
daily | 27 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | |||
cocaine: | <daily | 30 | 28 | 19 | 31 | 38 | 48 | 2-165 | 2-165 |
daily | 14 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 14 | |||
tranquilisers | 44 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 43 | 2-165 | 2-165 | |
>4 units alcohol/day | 22 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 20 | NS | NS |
Yr, p value effect calendar year; Yr2-150Yr, quadratic effect calendar year;
↵2-150 , p<0.05;
↵2-160 , p<0.01;
↵2-165 , p<0.001; GEE was used for statistical analysis, using a linear link function.
↵2-151 Expressed as percentage per visit at risk, see methods.
↵2-152 Only at visits at which participants reported current injecting.