The principal objectives of this project were to develop a first treatment demand indicator and establish a reporting system of information on the socio-economic characteristics of drug misusers in Dublin and London, through the collection of similar core data in each city.
The research showed that the sex ration was similar for both cities, but in London drug misusers were slightly older than n Dublin. In London almost one quarter of the drug users compromised non-white nationals whereas in Dublin the proportion was negligible. In Dublin 80% of the client group were unemployed, compared with 60% in London, with fewer misusers making their first treatment demand in Dublin (15%) than London (33%). Heroin was the predominate drug of misuse for both cities.
Drug users in Dublin were more likely to have injected and shared needles than those in London