wow.
and they're giving a single 200mg dose of methadone.
I think the idea of the study was to give them plenty to cover their actual ADDICTION. (and also get them high af) and then see if they stop using other things. Basically "we'll give you as much as we can medically, without killing you and we'd like to see if you stop doing OTHER drugs or more opiates on top of that."
It's so weird to think about this. Like "let's just give them whatever they want and see how that influences their behaviour" you'd fucking NEVER see this happen in the olde United States of Pharmaceutical Companies and Medical Industry lobbyists, errr I mean America.
From where I come from, patients enrolled in the Heroin treatment are asked if they want to get high or want to be " well". What is commonly seen is that although a majority want to be as high as possible initially, after the honeymoon fase a large part slowly start to taper down in dosage.
From a harm reduction perspective it makes sense to give the patients enough heroin so that the intake of street drugs is minimized.
What is also important to mention is that when the patients are receiving the medication they need they have the energy to start to focus on other aspects of their life.
If i remember correctly a study was done about although heroin maintenance IS expencive, the money saved towards stays at prisons etc., not least the fact that clean needles, acces to health staff improves the lives of a very health wise at risk group of people.
And finally not least, dignity.