An Improved Detoxification Technique for Heroin Addicts

Two methods of detoxification were administered to 149 heroin addicts in an ambulatory hospital setting—a self-determined reduction schedule and a standard physician-administered schedule. Twice as many of the self-regulated group completed detoxification as the physician-controlled group, irrespective of initial dose levels. The mean time taken for the self-regulated group was 22 days. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of the addicts' involvement in a self-regulated treatment and the limitations of the federal guidelines for methadone use.