Consequences and costs of shutting off methadone.

In the face of rising fiscal conservatism, many states and localities with sizable addict populations have reduced or eliminated public funding for methadone maintenance (MM) programs and permitted private-fee-for-service programs to replace them. The social and economic costs of these changed funding policies with reference to the California experience were analyzed. A two-and-a-half year follow-up of a sample of San Diego MM clients (195 men, 129 women) terminated from a public subsidized program compared outcome results to clients from publicly funded MM programs in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties (129 men, 131 women). In a secondary analysis, San Diego clients who transferred into private (fee-for-service) treatment programs were compared with those who did not transfer. Major adverse consequences were found for clients unable or unwilling to transfer to private programs: higher crime and dealing rates, more contact with the criminal justice system, and higher rates of illicit drug use were demonstrated by nontransfer clients. Moreover, the savings resulting from a reduction of MM program costs were nearly offset by increased direct costs for incarceration, legal supervision, and other government-funded drug treatment. Indirect costs were not assessed.

The effect of parole on methadone patient behavior.

A 7-year followup of three male samples of 1971-1973 methadone maintenance admissions was conducted: a random sample of 100; a sample of 136 who had a minimum of 30 months remaining on civil addict parole status at the time of methadone entry; and a matched sample of 136 not on parole. Ninety percent of those not decreased were interviewed. The overall sample spent 58% of the nonincarcerated follow-up interval on methadone. This resulted in a large decline in daily heroin use and associated criminal behavior measures. The addition of parole supervision with urine testing resulted in only marginal improvements in behavior over that attributable to maintenance alone; however, the parole status did significantly reduce the length of intervals of daily heroin use both prior and subsequent to methadone entry.