It has recently been reported that in two areas in Guangdong, Taishan and Yangdong, methadone treatment has started to be offered at a trial stage. Since then many have formed a misperception that methadone treatment is a form of treatment for drug addition. In response to such public misperceptions, the Associate Director of the Guangdong Health Department, Huang Fei, called on the journalists at the Working Seminar of the Department to help educate the public by clarifying that the methadone treatment is to reduce HIV infections among drug addicts while only 3% of drug addicts using this treatment will achieve lasting abstinence.

Huang told the journalists that many drug addicts, unable to control their behaviors under the influence of the addiction, would use syringes and needles that had been used and contaminated, and sometimes disposed on the streets. As a result, more than 90% of the HIV positive in Guangdong have been infected via intravenous drug injections. Treatment with methadone can reduce the desire for heroin and each dose has effect for 20 to 36 hours. Drinking a small cup of methadone every morning can help maintain a whole day’s normal life.

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