Course and outcome of drug abuse in military conscripts

The course and outcome of drug abuse was studied by following a representative sample of military conscripts from Gothenburg who participated in a questionnaire survey concerning drug habits in 1969/70 in connection with registration for military service. Those with abuse registered in medical or social welfare files had, with few exceptions (11%), admitted to use of drugs in the questionnaire. However, 55% of those who in the questionnaire indicated high-frequency drug use and 89% of those who indicated low-frequency drug use were not registered. A large proportion of drug abuse was thus hidden. It was estimated that 6% of the whole population were registered for drug abuse up to the time of the questionnaire survey, and another 1% after that. In some cases registered drug abuse started as early as 9 years of age. For the under-fifteens solvents were the commonest first drug and for the over-fifteens cannabis. Few initiated drug abuse after the age of 20. In 30% of the registered men, the duration of abuse was less than or equal to 2 years, in 50% 2-10 years and in 20% less than or equal to 10 years. Distributed over the entire population, the proportions were 2%, 3% and 1%, respectively. Among high-frequency drugs users, 45% of the registered abuse remained after 5 years and 20% after 9 years. Compared with the drug-free "normal group" registered drug abusers had more often indicated running away from home, repeated truancy, nervous complaints, and had more often received child and youth psychiatric care and been registered with the Social Welfare Administration at an early age. Those who had long drug careers had lower intelligence levels than the normal group.