Quotable Quote, and Just As Relevant 13 years Later:

"Although recent scientific research supports our understanding of opioid dependence as a chronic disease, methadone maintenance treatment has not yet gained universal acceptance as a normal therapy for a bonafide medical condition ... [and] its effectiveness in improving quality of life is limited by the continuing stigmatization and social disengagement of patients." (emphasis in original, Can Med Assoc J 1997; 157:395-398)