An addiction treatment program in Laos: the first year's experience

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine
• International Health

Background:

• A Vientiane, Laos, treatment program for narcotic addiction commenced in late 1972.
• The program integrated medical and social modalities, including drug withdrawal, chronic health management, and structured milieu therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and patient acceptance of a novel addiction treatment program in Laos.
• To compare different methadone dosages and treatment durations for opium and heroin withdrawal.

Main Methods:

• Voluntary admission of patients with diverse backgrounds (opium and heroin addicts).
• Implementation of a structured program with medical care, social support, and family counseling.
• Comparative analysis of once-daily versus twice-daily methadone for opium withdrawal and varying detoxification durations.

Main Results:

• The treatment program demonstrated high acceptability across various age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
• Twice-daily methadone dosage was superior to once-daily for opium withdrawal.
• Opium addicts required longer detoxification periods than heroin addicts.

Conclusions:

• The Vientiane addiction treatment program was successfully implemented by inexperienced medical staff and highly accepted by patients.
• Optimized methadone protocols (twice-daily dosing, longer duration) improved withdrawal outcomes for opium addiction.