Substance use patterns in newly admitted male and female South Australian prisoners using the WHO-ASSIST ( XXXX , Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test).

@entity1 @entity286 @entity167 @entity835 @entity889
OBJECTIVE: To report on the patterns of substance use in newly admitted male and female South Australian prisoners using the WHO-ASSIST screening tool ( @entity167 , Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test) and observe the feasibility of using the ASSIST and associated Brief Intervention in this population. DATA SOURCES: Results of the first 518 prisoners screened using ASSIST in South Australian reception prisons. RESULTS: In the first 10 months of the implementation of the WHO ASSIST, 518 clients were assessed in the 3 metropolitan intake prisons in Adelaide, Australia. This represents 31% of all male and 35% of all female prisoners admitted over this period. Injecting drug use was reported in the previous 3 months by 55% of @entity1 and 51% of @entity1 . The six most common substances used at high and moderate risk levels, in order of prevalence (from high to low) in males were @entity286 , @entity835 , amphetamines, opiates, @entity167 , and sedatives. In @entity1 the order was @entity286 , @entity889 , @entity835 , opiates and sedatives equal, and @entity167 . Fifty percent of @entity1 and 33% of @entity1 were using four or more substances. Overall rates of substance use related risk amongst @entity1 coming into prison are slightly greater than for @entity1 . Accessing prisoners for screening within the first few days is difficult with 55% already being released or at court or other external appointments.
