DTORS was carried out by the National Drug Evidence Centre (NDEC) in collaboration with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) on behalf of the Home Office.

The study was about people who were entering drug treatment programmes in England. It aimed to find out what sort of things affect a person’s chances of success in drug treatment programmes. The information is available to be used to plan the provision of drug treatment and other services in this country, to help as many people as possible overcome their drug problems.

• a major longitudinal outcomes study of drug treatment in England
• based on a sample of drug users presenting for treatment at 100 DATs
• clients interviewed at baseline, 3 months and 12 months
• includes a qualitative study and a cost benefit analysis

Findings review DTORS

Drug and Alcohol Findings have published their review of the DTORS study, under the headline Crucial study delivers mixed scorecard for drug treatment in England. They say:

For drug treatment in England, studies do not get any more important than this - the first national reassessment for over 10 years. A year after starting treatment drug use, crime and health risk behaviour were all down, but quality of life gains were minor compared to treatment costs, and the study showed how far patients and services were from achieving national reintegration objectives.

Read the full review at findings.org.uk: Findings review of DTORS: "Crucial study delivers mixed scorecard for drug treatment in England".

DTORS Final Reports Published