Social Exclusion and Drug Treatment

"Based on the Belgian Treatment Demand Indicator data of 2009, some indicators of social exclusion can be studied. More than one third (33.2%) of all persons entering treatment in 2009 had no school degree or only a degree of primary education (Table 8.3). The proportion of persons without school degree is considerably higher among persons between 45 and 54 years (45.0%) and those over 55 years old (52.6%) (Table 8.5), and among persons with cannabis as main problem substance (41.3%) (Table 8.4). One in two treatment demands concern persons who are unemployed (55.1%), and 2 in 3 persons over 35 years old are unemployed when they address a treatment agency (Table 8.5). Cocaine abusers are most likely to be employed at treatment entry (56.6%), while opiate abusers are least likely to be employed when they enter treatment (36.6%). No gender differences in unemployment rates were observed among persons entering treatment.
"About 15.4% of all treatment demands concern persons who are living in unstable circumstances (changing situations) and one third lived alone (with one or more children) at treatment entry. In particular opiate abusers (40.5%) and persons over 35 years old (>51.0%) were most likely to live alone (Table 8.4). Only small gender differences were observed, with 35.9% of the women and 32.7% of all men living alone."