Predicting craving among cocaine users

Introduction: Craving for cocaine seems to play an important role in the continued use of and dependence on the substance. Aims: to describe characteristics of the craving phenomenon in a sample of cocaine users and to identify those that could predict the appearance of the phenomenon. Method: 205 cocaine users attending an outpatient clinic were interviewed to assess patterns of drug consumption and characteristics of craving for the drug. Findings: Subjects were mostly young (24.8 +/- 12.8 years) and male (86.2%). One hundred and two subjects (49.8%) were addicted to cocaine and the remainders (50.2%) were non-addicted occasional cocaine users. The majority of subjects (60.5%) reported having had craving episodes during the previous week. Frequency of cocaine use during the previous month correlated with the number of reported craving fits (r=0.425; p < 0.001) and with the duration of the craving fits (r=0.35 1; p < 0.001). Users of crack reported more craving episodes than did the users of snorted cocaine (p < 0.001) and the frequency of craving fits was inversely proportional to the duration of abstinence from the drug (r=-0.405;p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both the method of drug consumption and the abstinence period elapsed since previous drug intake were identified as predictive parameters of craving. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.