Citation

Kotwica M, Czerczak S. Przegl. Lek. 2001; 58(4): 237-239.

Affiliation

Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, National Poison Information Centre, Łódź, Poland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Przeglad Lekarski)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11450343

Abstract

Substances of abuse have been known in many cultures and geographic zones, and they were used for different reasons, from religions up to hedonistic ones. Central Europe, a region of Poland has never been an area of religious use of narcotics, but lately a number of drug abusers is still growing up. The extent of the drug abuse problem in Poland is difficult to assess, because there is no monitoring system, which registers drug abusers. In this study, authors retrospectively analyzed the files of all drug abuse poisoned patients treated in 10 Polish Poison Centres; as well as the files of patients treated in other hospitals, but who were consulted by toxicologists from these units. During the last 10 years the number of patients treated for drug abuse intoxication has grown 10 times. The structure of used substance of abuse has also changed. In the early 90's opiates dominated. In 1997 all groups of drug abuses were noted, from natural or synthetic opiates, cocaine, LSD, amphetamine, up to Cannabis sativa derivatives (THC). We also revealed intoxications with hallucinogenic mushrooms and plant--Datura stramonium. The most common drugs used were opiates and amphetamine. THC were the third. Amphetamine and THC derivatives were the most often sources of intoxication in young people 15-25 years of age. The opiate poisonings were the commonest in young males, 20-40 years old.

Language: en