Consultation Document on Opioid Agonist Treatment
This paper is circulated by the Director, ONDCP, under his statutory authority {U.S.C. 21 § 1502 (b)(3)} to coordinate and oversee the implementation by National Drug Control Program agencies of the policies, objectives, and priorities established under paragraph (1) and the fulfillment of the responsibilities of such agencies under the National Drug Control Strategy
1. Purpose:
The purpose of this consultation document is to facilitate discussion on a national policy and direction regarding the role of methadone, levo-alpha-acetylmethadol hydrochloride (LAAM), and other opioid agonist treatments in addressing opiate addiction.
2. Objective:
The objective of this paper is to encourage the expansion of effective treatment to increasing numbers of opiate addicts, most of whom are heroin users. Methadone is a well-studied pharmacological tool for the treatment of heroin and other opiate addictions. Since its inception in the mid-1960s, methadone has helped thousands of heroin addicts reject a life of drug abuse and lead virtually normal, productive lives. But many heroin addicts are denied access to the benefits of methadone treatment and, thus, continue lives of crime, poverty, and disease. The Federal Government's objective is to allow those addicted to heroin to receive quality methadone treatment, when it is the indicated modality, in the context of expanding overall treatment capacity for all drugs of abuse.
Last Updated: March 4, 2002
