Source: Orange County Register (CA) Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 Author: Christopher S.Wren-The New York Times STUDY:ADDICTS BENEFIT FROM TREATMENT Offering new evidence that treating drug addicts works in the long term,a government survey has reported that addicts who get treatment are considerably less likely to consume drugs or commit crimes to support their use,even after five years. Adolescents were the conspicuous exception. Their overall drug use did not drop significantly after treatment, the study said. But adolescents also have been identified as the age group with the most risk takers, while adults tend to quit using drugs as they get older. The new survey confirmed that older people were more likely to curtail drug use and criminal behavior than younger ones. It also reported that women responded better to treatment than men. The national survey, which was released Wednesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services, surveyed 1,799 people five years after their discharge from drug-abuse treatment programs in 1989 and 1990. Their responses on drug use were verified using urinalysis. Relapse often occurs after treatment, but the study found that the number of people using any illicit drug dropped by 21 percent. The number of powder cocaine users decreased by 45 percent, while the number of crack smokers decreased by 45 percent, while the number of crack smokers decreased by just 17 percent. The number of heroin users went down by 14 percent and marijuana users by 28 percent. The number of those using alcohol declined by 14 percent. Addicts who were treated with methadone, a synthetic heroin blocker, showed the most significant drop. Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed stopped using heroin. As for criminal behavior, the study reported that 56 percent of addicts studied no longer stile cars and 38 percent no longer committed burglaries after completing treatment. The number of prostitutes and their procurers declined by 30 percent, the study said. - --- Checked-by: Don Beck