Methadone Maintenance Treatment in the U.S.

The abuse of heroin and other opiates is a serious and growing public health problem. According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 166,000 Americans use heroin. In addition, 4.4 million use opiate pain relievers (including Vicodin, Percodan, Percocet, and OxyContin) without a prescription. Abuse of legal pain relievers represents a growing category: in 2004, approximately 2.4 million Americans abused prescription pain relievers for the first time. In total, about 1.