It has especially been found to be successful at treating heroin withdrawal symptoms and thus originally was popular on the street before also becoming a recognized treatment used in hospitals. A study lead by Vincent Dole of Rockefeller University discovered that drug addiction was a disorder and thus needed to be treated like a disease as opposed to a psychological or character flaw. Thus, methadone maintenance therapy has been used as a successful, albeit controversial, form of medicine-based treatment of drug addicts.
Typically methadone is administered in a highly regulated methadone clinic. According to a 2004 review, the reason methadone is effective is that "it retains patients in treatment and decreases heroin use better than treatments that do not utilize opioid replacement therapy." Because methadone is similar to heroine, it actually reduces the need to use heroine, one of the leading causes for addicts to leave drug recovery programs.
The use of methadone and methadone clinics...
Since heroin addiction and withdrawal are dangerous, if not deadly, activities, using methadone to treat the addiction is the lesser of two evils. Although methadone is a potentially addictive drug in and of itself, because it has shown to be effective and because it is administered in highly regulated facilities, ultimately it is a preferred approach to drug addiction treatment.
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Robertson JR, Raab GM, Bruce M, McKenzie JS, Storkey HR, Salter a. (1 Dec. 2006): "Addressing the Efficacy of Dihydrocodeine vs. Methadone as an Alternative Maintenance Treatment for Opiate Dependence: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Addiction. 1752 -9.
Exchange is a program designed to educate and promote health among drug-users. Needle Exchange, and similar programs that provide needles and syringes to drug-users are a harm-reducing motive whose aim is to enable access to sterile needles and syringes for individuals injecting drugs. This kind of action is recommended by The World Health Organization (WHO), whose experts suggest that each drug-user injecting drugs needs to be given access to
Exchange Definition of Policy A needle exchange is a harm reduction strategy wherein the program provides clean, unused needles to addicts for the injection of intravenous drugs. The principle is that when addicts do not have access to clean needles, they are far more likely to share needles among themselves. Needle exchanges are typically set up in areas with a high concentration of intravenous drug users. They provide clean, unused needles
health related risks in association with addiction, the two greatest risks for Heroin Injectors is the risk of acquiring HIV or any number of the deadly and permanent Hepatitis viruses. The risks associated with addiction, poor nutrition, dehydration, reduced kidney and liver function as well as a few others increases the risk of an individual acquiring, nearly any communicable disease, yet those who are injecting Heroin also repeatedly directly
The government regulating of drugs use is one of those elements which are somewhat affected by such an approach. The government regulates both illegal and legal drugs in order to both maximize profits for American companies and minimize profits for foreign capitol. There are strict regulations on pharmaceuticals within the country. Also, many people posit money leaving American hands as a major underlying cause of the government's regulations of
Drug trafficking in Italy presents a complex and persistent challenge with deep historical roots and far-reaching impacts on both the Italian society and the global community. As a gateway between Europe, Africa, and Asia, Italy has long served as a strategic locale for the import and transit of illicit substances (Savona & Riccardi, 2013). The pervasiveness of organized criminal groups, such as the Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra), the 'Ndrangheta of
Marijuana Studies According to a 2001 survey published in the Economist, America's Illegal-Drugs policy is a dismal re-run of it's attempt to prohibit the sale of alcohol. One of the government's most controversial targets is marijuana. Although marijuana is generally disapproved of for causing lethargy and memory loss and shares tobacco's propensity for causing lung cancer, it is widely and safely used by a significant percentage of America's population. In several