Racial and ethnic differences in drug treatment entry of injection drug users in Massachusetts

This article examines patterns of drug treatment entry among 28,000 adult injection drug users (IDUs), with special attention to racial and ethnic differences. The data analyzed originates from a statewide drug-treatment database covering four years. Through the use of logistic regression analysis, the study identified significant population differences between those who used detoxification only, those who used residential treatment and those who used methadone maintenance. Latino IDUs were approximately a third less likely than Caucasian IDUs to enter residential treatment and African American IDUs were half as likely as Caucasian IDUs to enter methadone maintenance treatment. This article discusses specific programmatic and research implications including the need to determine whether differential entry rates are due to access, client awareness, cultural, referral or other factors.