ABSTRACT

This chapter enables readers to understand public opinion as it relates to drug treatment and to understand the drug user as well as to appreciate the plight of the drug addict. It also helps them to compare and contrast drug treatment programs and to learn differences in treatment philosophies as well as to discover what works in drug treatment and what does not. Critics of drug treatment programs argue that the failure rate is high and relapses are common, thereby ostensibly justifying a law enforcement approach to drug control. Treatment programs are varied in nature because of the personality type of the drug-dependent person, as well as the specific drug of abuse for which the person is being treated. Options include detoxification, chemical dependency units, outpatient clinics, methadone maintenance programs, and residential therapeutic communities. Drug prevention is another essential component to fighting drug abuse.