Assessing the temporal stability of drug-using classifications: An examination of Washington, DC arrestees between 1990 and 1997

Abstract

While it has been well established that drug addicts possess varying characteristics, the extent to which these distinctions remain constant over time remains undetermined. If successful drug treatment programs are to be developed and maintained, it is imperative that they be tailored to the changing needs of a jurisdictional population. In the current study, 10,022 Washington, DC arrestees surveyed through the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program are examined. Hierarchical and K-means cluster analyses are used to identify homogeneous clusters of substance users during two consecutive four-year intervals between 1990 and 1997. Drug treatment policy issues are assessed in light of the variant, temporal classifications derived in the current study.