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Not uncommonly, people will sometimes jokingly admit that they
“simply cannot live without that morning cup of coffee”, but if
seriously challenged, would probably deny any lack of control issues
about their daily consumption. The long lines at popular coffee cafes
seem eerily similar to street addicts in search of their “fix”. Such
incongruities can blur the distinctions between use and abuse and
perpetuate many of the myths and misunderstanding about addiction
and addiction treatment and specifically about methadone treatment
for opioid addiction.

Understanding the “Addict”

The landscape of addiction has changed over the years. During the
1950’ s the Traditional Addict (TA), emerged. The TA was usually
African American or Hispanic, poorly educated, and involved with the
criminal justice system. Besides using heroin, marijuana and alcohol
were also consumed. By the 1970’s, the Addicted Poly Drug User
(APU) entered the picture, addicted to narcotics, but frequently
consuming hallucinogens and stimulants, as well. The APU included
better-educated and more affluent Caucasians, as well as an increase in
the numbers of women. The addict moved from the barrio and ghetto
to Main Street.

Clearly, no one is immune from drug addiction. Heroin addiction does
not discriminate nor does it show preference for any socio-cultural
condition and yet in the minds of many, there is a stereotypical image
of what an addict typically looks like.

Understanding the Treatment

There is a plethora of medical and clinical research evidence that
methadone treatment not only saves lives, but millions of dollars in
health care and criminal justice costs as well. The medication itself is
next to miraculous, given that it is orally administered, cross-tolerant
with some other narcotics, and provides relief for 24 hours or more.