ABSTRACT
The literature on various aspects of problem drug use increased rapidly. This chapter describes the patterns of drug use among marginalized drug users in some European cities. It focuses on the prevalence of drug use, the combination of drugs used, the degree of involvement in drugs and differences between genders. About 100 marginalized drug users per city were interviewed during spring and summer 2006 using the same structured questionnaire, in sum 618 persons. Though the main focus was on the three mentioned substances, the marginalized drug users were also asked about their consumption of other opiates, cannabis, ecstasy and other substances. The consumption of cocaine among marginalized drug consumers is very common in Turin and Vienna, but quite rare in most other cities and especially in Prague. The scientific literature presents the marginalized drug users as "problem" or "heavy" drug consumers who use a variety of substances simultaneously or consecutively.
