[The illicit drug market in Aarhus. II. Actors]

People (n = 823) from whom drugs were confiscated by the police during the period 01.01.1992-31.12.1993 are characterized with regard to sex, age, nationality, other criminal offences etc. The data were obtained from the Central Criminal Register, the database of the National Drugs Intelligence Unit and the Danish Board of Health methadone list. Seven hundred and fifty men and 73 women were charged with drug offences in Aarhus during the two-year period. Fifty of these were foreign nationals. Almost all of the suspects were drug abusers. Ten percent of the people in the study were on methadone treatment at the time of confiscation. Sixty percent were categorized as users of cannabis only, 16% used heroin, 16% stimulants, and 7% medical drugs. Almost all of the suspects in the study were registered for offences other than drug offences (mainly theft and burglary). It is concluded that a substantial number of drug addicts in methadone treatment were found in possession of illicit drugs, and that most of the people charged with drug offences had previously been charged with other criminal offences.