Regular cocaine users (¡Ý1 per week) were recruited in low-threshold services located in the Montr¨¦al downtown area. The following variables were examined: demographic characteristics, types of drug used, routes of drug administration, and condom use with occasional or commercial sexual partners. Latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression modeling were carried out.
886 cocaine users were recruited (83.5 % male: mean age 35.38 years). A 5-class model was identified: (1) ¡°cocaine smokers¡± (CSs) (n = 161; membership probability (MP) = 0.183); (2) ¡°cocaine smokers/sniffers¡± (CSSs) (n = 201; MP = 0.218); (3) ¡°cocaine injectors¡± (CIs) (n = 207; MP = 0.231); (4) ¡°cocaine-opioid injectors¡± (COIs) (n = 277; MP = 0.291); (5) ¡°cocaine-opioid polyroute users¡± (COPs) (n = 40; MP = 0.077). Compared with COIs, other subtypes were significantly different in terms of either age, duration of cocaine use, ethnic background, homelessness, polydrug use or condom use.
The heterogeneity of consumption patterns supports the importance of offering an array of interventions aimed at problematic cocaine users. These should include the provision of clean injecting and smoking material, the promotion of safe sexual behaviours and the prevention of initiation to drug injection. In the absence of specific treatment, cocaine users should have access to primary health care services and addiction treatment based on innovative behavioural and pharmacological approaches.