Methadone Maintenance and Addicts’ Risk of Fatal Heroin Overdose

An admission cohort of 296 Australian methadone maintenance patients was followed over 15 years. The relative risks of death in and out of maintenance were calculated for two age groups, 20-29 and 30-39 years. Heroin addicts were found to be one-quarter less likely to die while receiving methadone maintenance as addicts not in treatment. This is suggested to be because they were significantly less likely to die by heroin overdose or suicide while in maintenance. (49 refs)