Voluntary agencies dealing with drug and alcohol misusers: a comparison of three surveys conducted in London, Scotland, and Tasmania.

A comparison is presented of three independent surveys of voluntary agencies dealing with drug misusers in London, Scotland, and Tasmania. The comparison shows that in all three locations: (1) agencies demonstrate a recent and rapid growth, are predominantly small and rely on the commitment of a few workers, are heavily dependent on government funding and most funds are spent on salaries; (2) staff are largely unqualified and recently appointed, see their primary activity as counseling; and (3) clients are predominantly male. The community base of these agencies means wide variability in type of agency and creates problems in assessing success and in developing relationships between them and agencies in the statutory sector.