Methadone Maintenance Clients in Amsterdam after Five Years

Abstract

The aim of the low-threshold Amsterdam Methadone Maintenance (MM) system is regulation of clients, i.e., the development of a way of life which is more acceptable to society and more satisfactory for clients. In this paper we describe the regulation of two random samples of clients who entered the Amsterdam MM 5 years earlier. Seventeen clients who left MM within 5 years are compared with 21 clients who stayed. The study indicates that clients who leave use less hard drugs and methadone, take better care of themselves, and have more often established a drug-free social network.