Aim To date, there haven't been any systematic studies of drug dependent refugees in Germany (since 2015). This study will provide information on the nationality of drug-dependent refugees, their respective drug-use histories, consumption patterns and treatment needs. Method 128 drug dependent refugees were interviewed in 5 low threshold addiction services in Germany with the support of interpreters and a translated questionnaire. The study took place between June and December 2017. The results presented refer exclusively to refugees who speak Farsi or Dari. Results All of the 128 drug-dependent refugees that were interviewed were without exception male and on average 30 years-old, most of whom smoked heroin. 116 (90.6%) came from countries where Farsi or Dari is spoken: 37.9% Iranians, 31.9% Afghans from Iran and 30.2% Afghans from Afghanistan. Of these refugees, 55.2% became drug dependent in their home countries, 16.4% occasionally consumed alcohol and/or cannabis, and 28.4% reported no consumption in their home country. Slightly more than half of the refugees who were already dependent when they fled to Germany had undergone detoxification treatment in their home countries. Drug replacement therapy is known to these refugees, 34,4% bought methadone on the black market specifically for withdrawal symptoms during the flight. In addition to drug treatment in the narrower sense, refugees also need help with accommodation and asylum. Conclusion Drug dependent refugees are not a homogeneous group. Language barriers and a lack of treatment options, along with unclear financing serve to make treatment difficult. The high proportion of refugees who have started to use drugs in Germany underlies the importance of early prevention in refugee accommodation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York.

Refugees harm reduction services Drug addiction consumption patterns

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