Thursday, August 20, 2009

Heroin versus Methadone

A new study from Canada finds that treating heroin addicts with heroin is more effective than treating them with methadone (a synthetic opiod). Effectiveness is defined as how long participants stay in treatment.

Well, of course! If heroin users can get free heroin from a clinic, and avoid the risk of arrest, they will do so. These users will be more likely to continue heroin treatment than methadone treatment because heroin is regarded as the better drug. If clinics offer free, single-malt scotch, then "users" will stay in "treatment" more than if offered rot-gut.

The study does have an important result; it confirms again that people can use heroin for extended periods and still function normally, if they have access to a legal supply with known purity. This fact was widely accepted before the U.S. prohibited opiates in 1914; the favored treatment for opiate addiction then was maintenance, meaing legal provision of opiates.

The best way to give heroin users access to cheap, high-quality heroin is to legalize. This eliminates both the need for government clinics and the adverse consequences of prohibition.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The nature of heroin use is so debilitating that it should only be distributed in a controlled environment, if at all. In the open market, choosing to die a premature and unnecessary death is a poor option when, in fact, better options exist.

Disregarding the risk of heroin use is irresponsible. Drinking anti-freeze is not a bad choice, either, eh?

Richard McGrath said...

Anon - the same argument you make could apply to alcohol, the effects of which can also be massively debilitating. Legalisation of heroin would lessen both stigma and risk as quality of product and choice of vendor would improve. This is, of course, only my opinion - but I have worked as a doctor in a methadone clinic for over ten years, and am convinced that drug use is a health issue, not a legal one.
Anyone serious about reducing the harm associated with drug use should put aside their revulsion at the lifestyles of drug users, and look at the evidence which support moves toward fully legalising all drugs as soon as possible.

Richard McGrath
Leader, Libertarianz (New Zealand Libertarian Party)

Anonymous said...

earth4energy -
earth 4 energy -
easy launcher -
easy system cleaner -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -
eczema free forever -
end your tinnitus -
error nuker -
fatburningfurnace -
fat burning furnace -
fat loss 4 idiots -
final sync -
firewall gold -
fitness model program -
fit over 40 -
fit yummy yummy -
flattenyourabs -
flatten your abs -
forex candlesticks made easy -
forex killer -
forex megadroid -
get rid of your cellulite -
g money pro -
google shadow -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
gov resources -
health biz in a box -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
hybrid water power -
i software tv -
joyful tomato -

Anonymous said...

rotator cuff training -
rss feeds submit -
save the marriage -
site builder elite -
six figure yearly 2009 -
sleep tracks -
sold in 21 days -
spyware stop -
stop being tired -
stop your hair loss -
the bad breath report -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
tonsil stones remedies -
top secret magic code -
truth about abs -
turbulence training -
turn your photos into cash -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
warp speed fat loss -
wedding speech 4u -
win clear -
xbox 360 red light fix -
xp repair pro -
1st promotion -
3 redlight fix -
500 love making tips -
acid alkaline diet -
advanced defrag -
anti spyware -
anti spyware bot -
art of approaching -
banish rosacea -

Anonymous said...

homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
how do i get him back -
hyper vre -
keyword spy pro -
kingdom of pets -
mafia war secrets -
malware bot -
master cleanse secrets -
maternityacupressure -
maternity acupressure -
maximum paid surveys -
meet your sweet -
mobile tv pro -
musclegainingsecrets -
muscle gaining secrets -
my dish biz -
one minute cure -
paid surveys online -
panic away -
pc tv 4 me -
pdf creator -
perfect optimizer -
pick the gender of your baby -
plr wholesaler -
private niche empire -
project quick cash -
public records pro -
pull your ex back -
quick article pro -
quit smoking today -
reality creation secrets -
reg clean -
regi cleanse -

Anonymous said...

registry easy -
registry fix -
registry winner -
reg sweep -
reg tool -
reverse mobile -
reverse phone detective -
richard mackenzie direct -
rich garbage man -
rocket chinese -
rocket french -
seize cars -
shop until you drop -
six figure yearly 2009 -
sleep tracks -
spyware nuker -
spyware stop -
sunshine 4u -
the bad breath report -
the cash1234 system -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
the free car -
the lazy marketer -
tonsil stones remedies -
truth about abs -
truth about diets -
turbulence training -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
violin master pro -
warp speed fat loss -
wedding speech 4u -
xp repair pro -

Anonymous said...

Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site?
I'm getting fed up of Wordpress because I've had issues
with hackers and I'm looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

Stop by my website ... Treatment Of Opiate Addiction