Injectable heroin maintenance has been advocated as a form of treatment for opioid dependence that would attract, and retain in treatment, addicts who have either not sought treatment or who have failed at other forms of treatment, including methadone maintenance. Advocates of heroin maintenance argue that it would increase the proportion of addicts in treatment and reduce heroin use, drug-related crime, and deaths due to overdose.1
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The authors would like to thank Professor George Bigelow, Professor Jerry Jaffe, and Dr Deborah Zador for their comments on an earlier draft of this article.
None declared.