Methadone is often given to heroin addicts as a way of reducing crime, infection and the risk of an overdose. However, methadone fails in 15-25% of cases. Researchers from the University of British Columbia looked into the effectiveness of diacetylmorphine - the active ingredient of heroin - in a study of 226 addicts in Montreal and Vancouver. Only 54% of those who received methadone stayed in a treatment for a year, compared to 88% of those who received diacetylmorphine. Those who received diacetylmorphine cut back on illegal drugs by 67% compared to a 48% reduction in those given methadone. Only 5.4% of those receiving methadone and 0.9% of those receiving diamorphine committed crime compared to three-quarters of those receiving neither.
You can find out more about this research at
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE57I65420090819?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true
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