MMT IN CHINA: NEGATIVE ATTITUDES IN FACE OF POSITIVE RESULTS

Does this heading sound familiar? It basically sums up the entire history of MMT worldwide over the past 40 years. Now China: in a brief summary of experience with methadone in recent years (AmJDrugAlcAb 34:127-131, 2008) it's noted that MMT has "reduced injection drug use and criminal behavior and improved social behavior... employment increased ... [and] high-risk consumption patterns like injecting diminished significantly." In short, "MMT programs have successfully mitigated harm related to heroin abuse." And yet, "... objections to MMT from general health care providers and the public about substituting one addiction for another ..." persist.