DON'T ABANDON DRUG ADDICTS

Editor:

Regarding your Feb. 20 methadone editorial: Earlier this month, the federal
government issued a report concluding unequivocally that
methadone-maintenance patients and the programs that treat them "are not
the culprits" responsible for the recent wave of overdoses associated with
this medication. Furthermore, it is simply not possible for programs to
"pay little attention to their customers, merely sending them home with
bottles of methadone." Every provider is obligated to adhere to a battery
of standards imposed by nationally certified accreditation agencies - just
as is true of hospitals.

With a terrible problem like drug addiction, the very worst response is to
abandon those who want and can benefit from availability of treatment services!

Dr. Robert Newman

Director

Baron Edmond de

Rothschild Chemical

Dependency Institute

Beth Israel

Medical Center

New York