Feasibility of household survey combined with cue investigation in community survey on illicit drug abuse

Objective To explore the feasibility of household survey combined with cue investigation in epidemiology catchments area on illicit drug abuse.Methods The representativeness of the sample was analyzed by comparing data of the survey with ones of the fifth population census in Hunan Province.The ways to get information of 370 opiate abusers were described.Results (1)The survey was conducted well,that the sample could represent the population of Hunan Province.and of which,99.7%of the all respondance were available.(2) The ratio of opiate abusers to registered opiate abusers was 1.49(370 vs 240),in which of 130 cases were non-regis-tered abusers.(3) The data on opiate abuse in 55.1% of the all abusers came from one source (such as users themselves.family numbers,the leaders of community,policemen,or other abusers),and the others came from more than two sources.(4)Of all the responders,only 33 cases reported that they had abused party drugs before the interview.and the polydmg abuse accounted for 60.6%(20/33 cases) among the party drugs abusers.Conclusion Combination of household survey with cue investigation in epidemiology catchments area has good feasibility to get epidemiological information on the opiate abuse.but not amphetamine typed stimulants in communities. Key words: Illicit drug abuse; Epidemiology;  Methodology