Heroin Use, HIV-Risk, and Criminal Behavior in Baltimore: Findings from Clinical Research

This article reviews research conducted in Baltimore over the past 15 years, examining the following: (1) What factors differentiate heroin-addicted individuals who enter methadone treatment from those who do not? (2) How difficult is gaining access to methadone treatment? (3) What are effective ways to overcome barriers to treatment entry? (4) Why do so many methadone patients drop out of treatment prematurely? (5) What are the added benefits of counseling when coupled with methadone or buprenorphine treatment? (6) Does increasing access to treatment have an impact on overdose deaths? Specific recommendations are made for policymakers concerned with addressing heroin addiction.