[Heroin abuse among Danish prisoners on remand. II. Consequences related to form of administration].

Heroin-abusing Danish prisoners remanded in custody were based on interviews grouped as either smoking dependent (n = 18) or intravenous dependent (n = 55). Intravenous users had a longer duration and earlier debut of abuse than users who smoked opiates. Only intravenous users had serious somatic complications. Both groups of opioid dependent prisoners were marked by severe psychosocial dysfunction and considerable psychiatric co-morbidity. The intravenous users were generally more affected than the smokers concerning social and psychiatric parameters and earlier criminality, perhaps due to their longer duration of abuse.