Prevalence of tobacco, cocaine and alcohol use amongst patients attending for methadone-maintenance therapy in a rural setting (2013)

Background: Patients receiving methadone-maintenance therapy appear more likely to have other substance-use disorders than do people in the general population and often fail to receive treatment for these conditions. Coexisting substance-use disorders are associated with poor health outcomes amongst current or former heroin users. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of the use of tobacco, cocaine and alcohol amongst patients attending for community-based methadone-maintenance therapy.
Methods: Cross-sectional survey of patients prescribed methadone for treating opiate dependence.
Results: Prevalences of tobacco, cocaine and alcohol use in the sample were 91.18%, 11.18% and 42.01%, respectively. Most respondents were found to be dependent on tobacco. In contrast, most patients were found to have no dependence on alcohol. In total, 145 patients (85.80%) had Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Primary Care (AUDIT PC) version scores below 5, indicating lower risk drinking, while the remaining 24 (14.20%) had AUDIT scores of 5 or above, indicating higher risk drinking.
Conclusions: There are higher rates of self-reported tobacco, cocaine and alcohol use disorders amongst methadone-maintained individuals than those reported in individuals from the general population. The findings illustrate the importance of identifying coexisting tobacco, cocaine and alcohol use disorders in methadone-maintained patients, since these issues can significantly impair patients' quality of life and affect treatment outcomes.