Drug selling among drug misusers before intake to treatment and at 1-year follow-up: Results from the National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS)

Abstract

Drug misusers recruited to the National Treatment Outcome Research Study were interviewed at intake to treatment programmes throughout England (n = 1075), and after 1 year (n = 753). Data were collected on self-reported involvement in and frequency of drug-selling activities and other crimes during the 90-day periods prior to each interview. A huge number of drug-selling offences (39 153) was reported prior to intake. Fewer than one-third of the clients (29%) reported selling drugs during the 90 days prior to intake, and among those clients who had sold drugs, drug selling was an infrequent and occasional activity. Most clients reported not selling drugs. A small minority (7%) committed the majority (89%) of drug-selling offences. These high-rate drug sellers reported different patterns of substance misuse to other drug sellers, including more frequent use of heroin but less severe dependence upon heroin, and less frequent drinking. The involvement of these high-rate drug sellers may reflect a more 'professional' approach to dealing. Reductions in dealing were found for clients from both residential and methadone programmes. Overall, the number of dealing offences at 1 year was reduced to a less than one-fifth of intake levels and the rate of involvement in crime was also reduced to less than two-thirds of intake levels. Reductions in drug selling were associated with reductions in regular heroin use.