Advocating Heroin Treatment by Villifying Methadone

A supporter of heroin maintenance in UK is quoted (Telegraph, UK, 28 April) as bolstering his argument by stating, "..many opioid addicts can’t stand methadone, the current preferred treatment. It rots teeth ..." All approaches for which there's evidence of help and hope for those dependent on opiates should be endorsed. How terribly sad, however, that advocates of one therapeutic regimen so very commonly feel the need to vilify others. Heroin because "many can't stand methadone ... and it rots teeth." Buprenorphine enthusiasm of many supporters based on the notion that it's "less addicting" than methadone - whatever that might mean. And of course that only drug-free management can be considered "real treatment" and that medically assisted modalities reflect resignation, tossing in the towel, "parking people on methadone" and rendering them zombies easily controlled by the state.