The frequency of narcotic use before and after admission to a methadone maintenance program.

A total of 453 program participants of the Narcotic Abuse Treatment Program, San Diego Country, a methadone maintenance program, were asked to report their use of heroin prior to and after program participation. Results indicated a significant reduction in reported heroin use, suggesting that the program has affected change in the quantity of heroin used by participants and that heroin use of program participants is not sufficient by itself to motivate other criminal involvement. A program may be effecting a reduction in heroin use by clients as well as criminal activity, but the effects may be totally unrelated.