Zahoor, MaryaAnjum, AjmalBhat, Fazle RoubRather, Yasir HassanYounis, SabahShah, Majid ShafiRasool, Ubaid2024-09-242024-09-242023-01Zahoor Marya, Anjum Ajmal, Bhat Fazle Roub, Rather Yasir Hassan, Younis Sabah, Shah Majid Shafi, Rasool Ubaid . Heroin Chasers Versus Injection Heroin Users: A Study from Kashmir. International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research. 2023 Jan; 10(1): 1-62393-915X2454-7379https://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/228174Introduction: Opioids are the most harmful drugs in terms of their ill effects on human health. In India, heroin is the most commonly used opioid and is being used via different routes including intravenous and ‘chasing the dragon’ mode. Chasing is one of the most widely practiced methods in world including India. Research regarding comparison of the clinical features and outcome of these groups is scant. Material and Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with primary opioid dependence was made. Fifty heroin chasers attending de-addiction clinic of our institute consecutively were compared with fifty injection heroin users (IHUs) regarding socio demographic, clinical characteristics and outcomes. Results: Most of the treatment seekers for heroin dependence were in the age group of 20-34 years (74% IHU and 76% chasers, P value of 0.78). Mean scores on opioid dependence severity were higher (42.45 + 9.23) in injection users as compared to chasers (37.56 + 8.28, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between two groups in overall quality of life (17.32 +3.33 for IHUs vs 19 + 4.32 for chasers, P =0.44). As compared to chasers, IHUs had 1.79 odds of receiving Buprenorphine (Confidence Interval:1.1-4.1) and this was statistically significant (P < 0.01). IHUs had lesser odds of drop out on first follow up as compared to chasers (6% vs 34%, OR: 0.12, CI : 0.03-0.45 , P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that there was no difference in most of socio demographic variables between IHUs and heroin chasers. IHUS were having higher severity of opioid dependence and had higher odds of receiving Buprenorphine as withdrawal management. They had higher retention rates as compared to chasers. There was no difference in overall quality of life scores between two groups.Heroin ChasersInjection Heroin UsersJournal ArticleIndiaSenior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, GMC SrinagarPost Graduate, Department of Psychiatry, GMC SrinagarLecturer, Department of Psychiatry, GMC SrinagarProfessor, Department of Psychiatry, GMC SrinagarSenior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, GMC SrinagarConsultant, Department of Health andMedical Education, GMC SrinagarSenior Resident, Departmentof Psychiatry, GMC Srinagar.