Critique of Consequences of Use: Heroin and Other Narcotics

Theories on Drug Abuse: Selected Contemporary Perspectives.

“…1, 35. ) Once in a methadone program, addicts often use heroin, other drugs, or alcohol as supplementary or substitute intoxicants (Bazell 1973;Bourne 1975;McGlothlin 1977, tables 1 and 2; Stephens and Weppner 1973, table 3;Weppner et al 1972, table 3). Similarly, addicts receiving antagonist therapy commonly stop taking the antagonist so that they can again enjoy the effects of opiates (Curran and Savage 1976;Haas et al 1976).…”

“…Waldorf (1973) found that 51 percent of his sample admitted substituting excessive use of other drugs or alcohol when stopping heroin use: 24 percent drank heavily, 13 percent used drugs to excess, and 14 percent did both. Methadone maintenance may be viewed as an institutionalized example of this substitution method of giving up heroin, and it is noteworthy that methadone programs have found that many patients also supplement their methadone with other drugs or alcohol (Bazell 1973;Bourne 1975, p. 101;McGlothlin 1977;Stephens and Weppner 1973;Weppner et al 1972).…”