30th Annual Student Research Conference
Methadone: A Public Good or a Public Burden?
Andrew N. Springmann
Dr. Anton Daughters, Faculty Mentor
The medical efficacy of MMT (methadone maintenance treatment) with regards to treating heroin dependency is well established. The seemingly counterintuitive approach allows recovering heroin addicts to offset the immutable and debilitating symptoms of their dependency by introducing a “safer” form of the compound which their body now necessitates to function, thus allowing the addict to rejoin, and contribute to, society. However, despite the overwhelming evidence that MMT can be successful, it remains to be a well-funded, national health initiative. Drawing from both the sociological and public health literature, this interdisciplinary paper analyzes the sociological factors hindering the large-scale utilization of MMT. The author concludes that the major barrier faced by this treatment modality stems from public misconceptions and stigmas attached to heroin users, rather than from an inherent issue with methadone or the patients who use it.
Keywords: Methadone Maintenance Treatment, Methadone, Heroin, Addiction, Public Health, Sociology, Stigma
Topic(s):Anthropology
Sociology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 411-1
Location: VH 1320
Time: 2:30