Drug Use and Long-Term Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Yunnan Province

Yunnan has been launching methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) since 2004 to combat heroin use and HIV epidemics. Objectives: To describe the concurrent drug use and severity of drug use among MMT clients, and to identify its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 2020-2021 in Yunnan, and 975 subjects were recruited through stratified cluster sampling. Information about drug use and other covariates were collected by self-development questionnaire and urine test. Results: The overall percentage of any drug use in Yunnan MMT population was 15.9% in the past 3 months, and was 10.7% in the past 7 days. Zero of heroin users and 5.4% of amphetamine type stimulants users were identified as high-risk group and need intensive interventions. Longer treatment, higher dose and influenced by peer were strongly associated with drug use. Conclusion: MMT has been a successful treatment in Yunnan, which could greatly reduce drug use. only very few of users were identified as high-risk group and need intensive interventions. Methadone dose, treatment period and peer influence were strongly associated with drug use, and strategies focus on these factors should be valuable for a successful achievement of MMT services.