Twelve-Year Follow-Up of New York Narcotic Addicts. II. The Natural History of a Chronic Disease

This paper outlines the activity of 50 postwar urban narcotic male addicts over a 12 year period in New York. The histories of these addicts from age 16 on were determined from retrospective data. Roughly one-fourth of addicts (12) died by age 40, many from alcoholism or drug overdoses. While many of the deaths seemed self-induced, only 1 was unmistakably suicide. The study shows that by age 42, only about a quarter of the subjects remain addicted. Death rates are high for this group. (14 refs.)