Abstract
Drug abuse is a long-standing problem in Hong Kong. Although the majority of abusers are male, recent trends suggest that there is an increasing population of females, under 21-years-old, abusing both drugs and alcohol. Despite the increase in the number of female substance abusers in Hong Kong, there is still a service gap in meeting the specific needs of this client group. Many current services remain biased towards the needs of male substance abusers, whose substance using career may be different from their female counterparts. The majority of women who misuse drugs and alcohol are of child bearing age and so the issue of care of the pregnant drug user is of vital importance when planning service provision. Women often fear that their children will be taken into care if their substance abuse becomes known. Many services have limited child care facilities and this may prevent some women from presenting to services. Care and treatment offered must be individually tailored if needs are to be met and if the planned outcomes are to be successful. It is imperative that treatment services challenge the subjugated and disempowered status of women substance users and aim to deal with the specific difficulties associated with this client group.