|
|
Article: AIDS Stimulates New Interest in Methadone;Controversial Drug Called a Lifesaver-and a Crutch for Addicts
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 20, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
It is one of the most controversial medical treatments of the
20th century.
It has been criticized as a false cure, an insidious form of
addiction-even a type of slavery.
But for Bakri Nurel-Deen, a 35-year-old Washington native who
started shooting heroin as a teen-ager, methadone has proved a
lifesaver.
A synthetic narcotic, methadone can block a person's urge for
more dangerous narcotics such as heroin. Because of methadone
treatment, Nurel-Deen has been able to stay off illegal drugs and out
of jail for more than a year-a notable accomplishment for a former
dealer who has been hooked on drugs virtually his entire adult life.
"What the methadone did was to give me another chance," ...