To examine patterns of use of acute walk-in services by substance
abusers, the authors studied demographic characteristics and type of
substance abuse among 1,838 patients treated at a Veterans Affairs
substance abuse triage unit. They found that African-American and male
substance abusers appeared most likely to return for triage services. Among
heroin users, the strongest predictor of return was gender. Among
alcoholics, homelessness was the sole predictor of return. No predictors
were found for cocaine users. The authors conclude that the relationship
between return rates and type of substance abuse needs further study.
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