Elsevier

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

Volume 12, Issue 1, January–February 1995, Pages 13-18
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

Users of free treatment slots at a community-based methadone maintenance clinic

https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(94)00084-0Get rights and content

Abstract

At a community-based methadone clinic in Seattle, WA, 360 opiate-addicted individuals were enrolled in a treatment demonstration project. The treatment slots were free to clients and, unlike other funded treatment slots, did not require proof of eligibility based on documentation of indigence. The clients were compared with 70 clients enrolled in a research project begun 2 years earlier in which the sample was drawn from a population using normal funding sources at the same program. Subjects in the later demonstration project were older and had fewer years of education. A higher percentage of the demonstration project subjects were African American. These differences indicate that introduction of free treatment opened opportunities to individuals who have difficulty accessing treatment under normal circumstances. Subjects in the treatment demonstration project were more likely to have obtained needles from legal sources and used bleach to clean needles. These findings probably reflect the impact of needle exchange and outreach programs, established in the year prior to the demonstration project.

Keywords

methadone maintenance
drug abusers
opiates
treatment

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This research was supported by Grant 1 R18 DA 01604 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opinions are those of the authors.

We thank the clinical and research staff of Evergreen Treatment Services for their work on this project as well as the King County Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services for its support.

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