Evaluation of heroin maintenance in controlled trial

Heroin group: maintain status quo, majority continue to inject regularly, supplement prescription with other sources, and continue intermediate level of involvement with drug subculture and criminal activity.

Methadone group: confrontational because wouldn’t prescribe heroin, higher abstinence rate, but also greater dependence on illegal sources of drugs for those continue to inject. More likely to be arrested.

No difference between groups in employment, health, consumption of non-opiate drugs. Methadone had a significantly greater drop out from regular treatment.