VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers suggest addicts who use supervised injection centers are more likely than others to quit drugs.
Researchers at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver link a pilot supervised injecting facility -- where addicts can inject pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of medical staff -- to an increased likelihood of quitting injection drug use for at least six months.
"Many people benefit from supervised injection facilities, which have been shown to increase addiction treatment, reduce rates of crime and incidence of HIV, prevent drug overdoses, and now help people who use drugs quit injecting," study researcher Dr. Julio Montaner says in a statement.
Montaner and colleagues followed 902 clients who visited the supervised injection facility between December 2003 and June 2006. During that time, 95 of the clients reported quitting injection drug use for at least six months.
The findings are published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
