Introduction

Abstract

The misuse of opiates (drugs such as, heroin, opium, morphine, methadone, and dihydrocodeine) is a major social, political and economic problem across the world. International drug trafficking, increasing heroin production, rising numbers of drug injectors, the spread of HIV infection, and escalating drug deaths are all features of the changing global pattern of illicit drug use. Drug-related crime and drug use in prisons plague law and order agencies, drug use in the workplace has resulted in calls for mandatory drug testing by employers, and methadone — a commonly prescribed substitute for heroin addiction — has been implicated in causing a new generation of opiate-dependent individuals. Although men are more likely to be opiate users than women, this gender gap is closing. Meanwhile, those who use illicit substances are becoming younger, necessitating policies and guidance for dealing with drug use even in schools.