Opiate addiction is a serious public and individual health problem. The intangible cost of broken families, unstable communities, increased crime due to drug-seeking behavior, and, above all, increased disease transmission, make opioid addiction a concern for individuals and communities. dependent companies. (Methadone, 2010) Heroin addiction and the mode of administration are frightening because people knowingly engage in life-threatening behavior by sharing injection needles, a practice known as “shooting.” Heroin use is often associated with blood-borne diseases and infections due to sharing of needles. The supply of illegal drugs will always increase to meet demand, regardless of law enforcement efforts, and "the AIDS emergency in the 1980s gave urgency to treating heroin addicts," as reported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse. When looking at federal regulations on methadone treatment, it states that: Methadone is used to treat opioid addiction through detoxification and maintenance. Methadone maintenance treatment is usually provided as an outpatient treatment program. The programs are similar in operation and all include a location for dispensing medications, offices for confidential counseling, an exam room, and a designated area for administrative and non-clinical staff. The units have four common characteristics. Methadone is used as a replacement for heroin and prevents opioids. intoxication and withdrawal. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is undoubtedly the most commonly prescribed treatment for heroin addiction. Just as with the pharmacological management of other serious chronic diseases, the use of methadone aims to support patients in improving their quality of life. Addiction science has come a long way… halfway through the article… views in context. Web October 22, 2013. Federal Regulations on Methadone Treatment. Retrieved from Http:www.nap.edu/catalog/4899.html“Methadone”. Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Students. Ed.Stacey L Blachford and Kristine Krapp. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web October 22, 2013. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heroin abuse and addiction. Rockville Md: US Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse 2000 Research Report Series; NIH Publication No.:00-4165Sack, (2012). “It's all about dopamine and other misconceptions about SAMHSA (2012). Substance abuse treatment for persons with co-occurring disorders, Tip 42,Weber, M. (2011). “How would Medicaid block grants work. Kaiser Health News. 06 March 2011. Web 12 Nov. 2013