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Drug Abuse
Drug Abuse Drug Abuse: Its a common misconception among many people that the harm reduction approach to drug use encourages drug use and is not effective. The harm reduction approach maintains that drug abuse is here to stay and society needs to “accept the responsible use” of psychoactive substances. The U.S. drug policy should incorporate harm reduction for the benefits of heroin addicts. Its a common misconception among many people that the harm reduction approach to drug use encourages drug use and is not effective. The harm reduction approach maintains that drug abuse is here to stay and society needs to “accept the responsible use” of psychoactive substances. The U.S. drug policy should incorporate harm reduction for the benefits of heroin addicts. For more than thirty years, methadone has been used effectively as treatment for heroin addicts. (Zickler) Unfortunately, for every ten heroin addicts, there are only one or two methadone slots (Torr, 39). Methadone treatment has been shown to be beneficial for addicts. Those that are untreated die at a rate ten times more than those in methadone treatment do, (Zweben, 20). Some people go into treatment simply to reduce the frequency and amount of their use; other patients make a full commitment to a lifestyle change, (Zweben, 2). The goal of opioid maintenance therapy is to get rid of drug craving and create homoeostatic stability making the person able to focus on lifestyle changes, (Zweben, 3). Heroin use declines slowly once patients go in to treatment over a period of time (Zweben, 3). Its been found that 67% of patients who are in the treatment for six months are less continued to still do heroin while only 8% of long term patients still used, (Zweben, 3). This is a significant difference. It is estimated that there are 810,000 heroin addicts in the United States; only 138,000 to 170,000 people receive methadone or Levo- Alpha-Acetyl-Methadone as a part of an addiction treatment program (none, 4). There is about 900 methadone treatment programs, including programs approved for Levo- Alpha- Acetyl- Methadone treatment in the United States (none, 4). Methadone therapy helps keep over 100,000 addicts off heroin, welfare, and on tax rolls as productive citizens, Without these programs, these people would be back on the welfare and back on drugs, (none, 3). In licensed clinics, methadone is given orally and effects generally last 24 to 36 hours, (Zickler, 6). Many clinics administer fixed doses instead of adjusted doses according to the needs of the patients. (Zickler, 6) Methadone has a little of injected heroin’s effect on mood and cognition when taken orally. (Torr, 62) Methadone is to street heroin what nicotine patches is to cigarettes-with an addiction benefit of legality. (Torr, 64) Some people feel that this is a problem because it encourages addicts. Doctor Strain did a study involving 192 patients, investigating the effectiveness of high dose methadone treatment. (Zickler, 2) Doses were increased weekly until the 8th week which half were receiving a moderate dose and the other half a high dose. (Zickler, 2) Patients in the high does groups used opiates significantly during the treatment then the moderate dose, reporting using once a week compared to the moderate dose patients who used 2-3 times a week. (Zickler, 2) Doctor Strain concluded that s high dose-80 to 100 mg per day- was more effective in the reducing heroin use than a moderate dose of 40-50 mg per day. (Zickler, 2) “The most important aspect if our research from a therapeutic and public health perspective is that methadone treatment over broad range of doses results in significant clinical improvement for opioid-addicted patients” he says. (Zickler, 3) Though only 10% are ever able to ... This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!
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