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Journal of Public Health 26(1) © Faculty of Public Health 2004; all rights reserved.

Artefact or Reality? Increases in persons notified to the Regional Drug Misuse Database in the South West of England, 1996–2001



Stephen Wilkinson, Chartered Psychologist1

Tony Soteriou, Senior Research Fellow1,2

Selena Gray, Reader in Public Health1

Judy Orme, Principal Lecturer1

Judy Myles, Senior Lecturer in Addictive Behaviour and Psychological Medicine3
1 Faculty of Health & Social Care, University of the West of England, Glenside Campus, Blackberry Hill, Bristol BS16 1DD
2 Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
3 St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London

Address correspondence to Dr Tony Soteriou. E-mail: tony.soteriou{at}uwe.ac.uk

The incidence of new persons and repeat attenders presenting for treatment for problem drug misuse in the South West of England more than doubled from 1996–1997 to 2000–2001. During this time there was an increase in the number and severity of chronic cases, both in terms of the prevalence of heroin and crack-cocaine use and in the frequency of injecting and sharing injecting equipment. Growth in the availability of treatment, changes in notification practice and sub-regional variation make it difficult to be confident about real rates of increase, or age, gender and substance misuse changes, but the size of these changes mean they are unlikely to be purely artefactal.

Keywords: substance misuse, regional drug misuse databases, treatment, incidence, heroin, crack-cocaine


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