Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
Reductions in convictions for violent crime during opioid maintenance treatment: a longitudinal national cohort study
Ingrid Havnes1, Anne Bukten, Michael Gossop
1SERAF-Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo, Kirkevn 166, N-0407 Oslo, Norway. i.a.havnes@medisin.uio.no
Background:
Although opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) has been found to reduce crime, less is known about its associations with violent crime. This study investigates changes in violent crime convictions prior to, during, and after OMT, and examines the relationship between violent crime convictions prior to OMT with the risk of violent and non-violent crime convictions during treatment.
Methods:
The cohort comprised all who started OMT (n=3221) in Norway between 1997 and 2003. Treatment data were cross linked with the national Crime Registry. Convictions for violent crime 3 years prior to, during, and after treatment were studied.
Results:
Violent crime rates were significantly reduced during OMT compared with before treatment, for both men and women. The rate of convictions for violent crime during OMT was halved amongst those who remained in treatment. The reduction was less pronounced for those who left treatment: for this group, the rate of violent convictions after OMT was higher than before treatment. The risk of convictions for violent and non-violent crime during OMT was highest for those with violent convictions prior to treatment.
Conclusions:
Violent crime is reduced during OMT. Screening for violent behaviour and violence risk assessment should be implemented in the treatment system.
More Related Videos
08:05A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
Published on: March 23, 2022
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Drug Dependence
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Drug Accumulation During Multiple Dosing: Repetitive IV Injections