The British Journal of Psychiatry 154: 835-838 (1989)
© 1989 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
M London and AH Ghodse
Department of Addictive Behaviour, St. George's Medical School, London.
Hospitalised drug addicts were categorised according to the time lapse between onset of their opiate abuse and their first notification to the Home Office. Late notification correlated with a lower level of dependence, a more intermittent pattern of misuse, and a greater likelihood of alcohol abuse. It is postulated that there may be two types of addiction which lie along a continuum.