Hazardous or harmful alcohol intake in opioid treatment program patients at Canterbury Drug Health Services

Introduction and Aims: To determine levels of alcohol consumption and prevalence of hazardous to high risk alcohol intake in opioid treatment program (OTP) patients. Design and Methods: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was utilised to determine alcohol intake. A result of 8 or above in the questionnaire is considered positive for hazardous or harmful alcohol intake. Participants in this study were OTP patients attending Canterbury Drug Health Services. Patients completed the AUDIT confidentially, without any identifying information on the AUDIT survey. Results: A total of 121 questionnaires were completed. The mean age was 42 years old (range of 21 to 68 years). As per the AUDIT guidelines 87.6% of the population studied were classified as at low risk of alcohol drinking, 9.1% as risky or hazardous, 0.8% as high risk or harmful and 2.5% as high risk. Chi-square test did not show any significant relationship between the level of risk and age and sex (P value"‰="‰0.18 and 0.24). Discussions and Conclusions: Alcohol is reported to be consumed at a hazardous to high risk level in 12.4% of the OTP population surveyed. There is an increased risk of overdose in this population and that risk is exacerbated by alcohol. A high incidence of hepatitis C is present in OTP patients and the hepatic complications in this condition are significantly raised by alcohol consumption. It is therefore very important to address the alcohol problem in this particular population.