Drug use among a sample of males admitted to an alcohol detoxication center

Urine samples were obtained from 93% of a sample of 111 consecutive male admissions to a nonmedical detoxication center in Toronto. Analysis of these samples revealed that 51 (50%) had traces of drugs other than alcohol and that 12 (12%) were alcohol free. Benzodiazepines were the most frequently detected drugs and these were found in 32% of all samples. Barbiturates were detected in seven (7%) samples and cannabinoids in 10 (10%) samples. A wide range of urine alcohol concentrations was found and some samples had zero or low concentrations. Although alcohol urine concentrations were generally lower in samples containing other drugs, the distribution of urine alcohol concentrations was similar for samples containing only alcohol and those containing alcohol and some other drug. Of the 51 samples found to contain drugs other than alcohol, subjects' self-reports were concordant in 27 cases (53%). Most of the discrepancies between self-reports and urine analysis were due to the under-reporting of the use of benzodiazepines. Subjects with drugs in their urine tended to be younger than others, but they were not distinguished with respect to their behaviors while in the detoxication center or length of stay. Those with the highest urine alcohol concentrations had shorter stays in the detoxication center. Implications for further studies are discussed.