|
|
The
National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference
on "Effective Medical Treatment of Heroin Addiction"
(November, 1997) concluded that it is necessary to increase
access to methadone treatment services throughout the United
States and to increase funding for methadone treatment, including
providing benefits for methadone treatment as part of public
and private health insurance programs. |
| |
|
|
|
The
General Accounting Office reports that "The National Institute
on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism, the federal government's two primary agencies for
researching drug and alcohol abuse issues, respectively, have
concluded that methadone is the most effective method available
for treating heroin addiction." [Source: General Accounting
Office, Report to the Chairman, Select Committee on Narcotics
Abuse and Control, House of Representatives - Methadone Maintenance,
March, 1990] |
| |
|
|
|
According
to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, there are over
900,000 heroin dependent individuals in the United States. Drug
Enforcement Administration data indicate that heroin is increasingly
available at purer levels throughout the nation and the National
Institute on Drug Abuse has cited an alarming increase in the
number of young people using heroin in suburban and urban areas.
|
| |
|
|
|
Approximately
210,000 patients in this country are treated with methadone
on any given day. [Source: CSAT] |
| |
|
|
|
A
comprehensive examination of the economic benefits and cost
of methadone treatment reveals the benefits to cost ratio of
4:1; $4.00 in economic benefits accrue for every $1.00 spent
on methadone treatment.
[Source: Harwood, et. al., The Costs of Crime
and the Benefits of Drug Abuse Treatment. NIDA Monograph Series
86, DHHS, 1988] |
| |
|
|
|
Research
indicates that methadone treatment has significantly decreased
the rate of HIV infection for patients in continuous methadone
treatment. [Source: Ball, John. The Effectiveness of Methadone
Maintenance Treatment, Springer-Verlag, 1991] |
| |
|
|
|
Studies
have continually demonstrated that more than 70% of the people
enrolled in methadone maintenance reduce or eliminate criminal
activity during their first year in treatment. |
