Correlates and Outcome of Illicit Drug Use by Adolescent Girls

¹ Senior Registrar, Maudsley Hospital, London, S.E.5
² Superintendent, Cumberlow Lodge Remand Home, London, S.E.25
³ Cumberlow Lodge Remand Home, London, S.E.25

A survey was conducted into illicit drug use among 1,088 adolescent girls admitted to a London remand home during the years 1966-68. The incidence of drug use prior to admission was: amphetamines, 16.5 per cent; cannabis, 13.6 per cent; LSD, 1.7 per cent; intravenous methylamphetamine, 1.9 per cent; heroin, 2.7 per cent; cocaine, 1.0 per cent; methadone (Physeptone), 0.5 per cent. The drug users tended to be slightly older than the controls, more intelligent, and better educated. The narcotic group used more kinds of drugs and were particularly likely to use barbiturates and methylamphetamine intravenously. Narcotic use, at the time of admission, was associated with a significant increase in personality disorder, time spent in institutions, and committal to Approved Schools.

During a mean follow-up period of three years, 20.6 per cent of the non-narcotic users, but only 1 per cent of the control admissions, had progressed to narcotic use. Girls remanded by the courts or committed to Approved Schools who have used non-narcotic drugs seem to be particularly vulnerable to future serious drug abuse. During follow-up the narcotic users had more criminal convictions, particularly for offences involving violence, and were more often admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Most psychiatric in-patient treatment was compulsory, and the majority of those admitted either absconded or discharged themselves against medical advice. Ten of the girls admitted to this remand home since 1964 have died from suicide or drug overdose in the past four years; nine of these ten girls had used narcotic and intravenous drugs.