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Abstract
The success of a pioneering home detoxification service (HDS) in attracting female clients is discussed. The HDS under consideration was established in central Scotland during 1991, and was introduced to reduce demands by problem drinkers on in-patient hospital facilities and to experiment with the possibility that a nurse-led, home-based service could meet community needs in a fuller and more efficient manner. Since its inception, the HDS has become popular with general practitioners and, by 1997, they had handled over 650 clients per year. Several features of the HDS have been assumed to be especially attractive to female problem drinkers. These include the ability of clients to remain at home during detoxification and that they are not expected to attend male dominated mixed gender groups. In fact, the ratio of females being detoxified by the HDS has not been significantly higher than amongst those in Scottish agencies providing services for problem drinkers. The reasons for this are discussed.