The History of Using Methadone for Drug Addiction Treatment

For over 25 years Pat Moore Foundation has specialized in oxycodone and other opiate addiction treatment programs. We know first-hand the powerful addictive and destructive qualities of oxycodone and prescription drug abuse. Following is a short information guide on oxycodone abuse, addiction, symptoms, risks, hydrocodone, suboxone detox and treatment. We provide this as a service to Pat Moore Foundation family and friends, as well as for anyone seeking helpful and insightful information on oxycodone, including its addiction and abuse.

What is the history of using Methadone for Drug Addiction Treatment?

Methadone was first synthesized in Nazi Germany during WWII when the supply of opium was cut off by the war. Those inside Hitler’s regime who were addicted to opium instructed chemists to create a replacement drug. The result was Methadone. Methadone actually proved to work better than poppy-based opiates in that they lasted much longer. Consequently, it soon became used to manage addiction to other opiates like heroin, which only lasted a few hours and required repeated doses.

Following WWII, there was an outbreak of heroin addition in the US, specifically in New York City. In the mid-60s, methadone maintenance treatment began as a way to curb illicit opiate use and the subsequent social consequences such as disease transmission and criminality. To its credit, methadone treatment did produce positive results for many years.

Recent years, however, have called the success of methadone detox into question. Because methadone effects are so similar to heroin, methadone pills are often diverted from methad