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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
08:05
A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
Published on: March 23, 2022
Problematic heroin use incidence trends in Spain.
Albert Sánchez-Niubò1, Josep Fortiana, Gregorio Barrio
1Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain.
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|January 20, 2009
Summary
The annual incidence of heroin use in Spain peaked in 1980 and has significantly declined since then, particularly for injecting heroin. This study highlights a new method for estimating drug use trends.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Substance Abuse Research
Background:
- Estimating the incidence of heroin use is crucial for public health interventions.
- Previous methods may not fully account for treatment-seeking delays.
- Understanding trends in heroin use informs prevention and treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the annual incidence of problematic heroin use in Spain.
- To analyze trends in heroin use from 1971 to 2005.
- To assess the delay between initiating heroin use and seeking treatment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Spanish Drug Observatory Register (1971-2005).
- Employed a log-linear model to correct for missing observations.
- Calculated the time delay between first heroin use and first treatment presentation.
Main Results:
- Heroin use incidence peaked in 1980 at 190 per 100,000 (aged 15-44) and decreased to 8 per 100,000 by 2005.
- Incidence was five times higher in men.
- Heroin smoking incidence has remained higher than injecting since 1985.
Conclusions:
- A novel method effectively estimates heroin incidence using treatment data.
- Heroin use incidence, especially injecting, has declined substantially since 1980.
- Current incidence levels are lower than in the early 1970s.
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