Relation Between Drugs and Homlessness

A recent study, published in the medical journal JAMA, shows that a large majority of people living on the streets in California are not illegal drug users. Contrary to common perception, only about 37% of homeless people were using illicit drugs regularly and 25% said they had never used drugs.  Just over 65% reported having regularly used at some point in their lives, and 27% had started after becoming homeless.  35% of respondents said their drug use had decreased after they became homeless.  Some were parents worried about losing custody of their children. Others had “just reached that point,” said the lead author of the study Margot Kushel. “One of the most poignant findings was that 1 in 5 told us they are actively seeking treatment and couldn’t get it,” Kushel said in an interview.  Only 7% of those with any lifetime use said they were receiving treatment. That finding highlighted the need for better treatment options.  “It's hard to get treatment,” Kushel said. “It shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t scrounge to save money to go somewhere and be told you’ll be put on a waiting list. That should not happen, but it does.”  Housing is the solution, Kushel said, but until enough of it is available, there is a need to bring more resources to the street, such as methadone or other medications that treat opioid addiction.  The new report found that methamphetamine was, by far, the most used drug on the street.  “People are telling us that it helps them survive,” Kushel said. “It keeps them awake and alert. They are using it either because they are traumatized, they have been assaulted, they are afraid or depressed, using it as coping to make it all go away.” Only about 10% of respondents said they were regularly using opioids, most mixing them with methamphetamine.  About a quarter reported having naloxone, a medicine that reverses an opioid overdose, but Kushel said it should be in the hands of every opioid user and everyone around them.  “What we’ve heard from a lot of people is, ‘I’ve seen an overdose,’” she said. “You can’t often wait for a first responder.” 

Here's the link: Study: a majority of homeless people in state do not use illicit drugs - Los Angeles Times