Abstract
This is an exploratory study of 18 inner-city methadone patients who reported on their hourly activities across nine consecutive days. Subjects were 56% male, unemployed, 89% used crack, 28% used intranasal cocaine, and 22% injected cocaine. The most frequent daily activities were: sleeping, watching TV, substance and/or alcohol use, socializing, food preparation/eating, and attending the methadone program. On days cocaine was used, mean number of hours spent smoking crack, sniffing, and/or injecting was 2.2. Drug usage was highest on Saturday and lowest on Sunday. Cocaine use occurred over most of the day, increasing after 5 pm and remaining elevated until about midnight. In addition to substance abuse, these patients' days are limited to mostly passive activities (e.g., sleeping, eating, watching TV). Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.