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Methadone programs work, and benefit communities. Studies conducted in
New York and throughout the world prove that programs markedly decrease
heroin and other drug use, criminal behavior and exposure to HIV/AIDS.
A recent cost benefit analysis showed that for every $1 spent on
treatment, $7 was saved in future costs. Another large scale study
found that for every $1 spent specifically on methadone treatment,
there are over $4 saved in social and health costs.
Methadone treatment clinics are community health resources that provide vital substance abuse care primarily for people who live or work in the communities in which their programs are located. Methadone programs provide opportunities for patients to live productively in their communities, free of preoccupation with illegal drugs, and free of the physical and social dangers of addiction. At a relatively low cost per patient per year, methadone treatment reduces the economic burdens the community at large would otherwise bear in crime, criminal Justice and emergency and other medical care for untreated addicts. |