Drug use, in ethnocultural subgroups, has been considered either as a mechanism of social integration or as a marker/cause of social disorganization. The health status and health outcomes of many minorities have remained poor, or have deteriorated, despite massive health promotion campaigns.

This is a retrospective archives study. Admissions in Detox Unit of Thessaloniki (residential facility, part of Addictions Department at the Psychiatric Hospital and the only Detoxification Unit in Greece) for the decade 1996-2005 were studied. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were recorded.

Patients belonging to ethnocultural subgroups represent 4.8% of the total number of patients admitted (109/2265) and 7.2% of the total admissions number (191/2655). 44% of the total admissions completed the 21 days of stay and 46% left prematurely (median length of stay 5 days). 62% were admitted only once and 43% completed the program. 38% were admitted more then once and 45% of these admissions were successfully completed. The initiation drug is cannabis (82%) and the mean age of beginning drug use is 17 years old. The main substance is heroin, the median period of drug use is 7.5 years and the main way route of administration is intravenous (85%). 48% of them tested positive for Hepatitis C, 1% for Hepatitis B, and 9.1 for both HBV&HCV. 70% have problems with the law.

The percentage of completed admissions of the minorities in Detox is comparable to the Greek patients, but more campaigns about hepatitis seem to be necessary.