Current Trends in the Rehabilitation of Narcotics Addicts

Abstract

It is generally accepted that the rehabilitabe taken of the more traditional punitive tion of drug addicts has been characterized and medical-psychiatric treatment methods, more by failure than success. Until re cently the professional had little hope of PUNITIVE METHOD achieving successful treatment of addicts that would enable them to abstain permaMany laws make it a crime to sell, purchase, nently from drug use. The complexities or possess—without a legitimate medical of the narcotics possession laws add to the prescription—those that have been often complicated psychosocial makeup of classified by the World Health Organiza the addict and present the worker with tion as dangerous drugs or to possess a the difficult task of trying to keep the addict hypodermic syringe unless prescribed by a completely abstinent in order to avoid crimphysician. As a consequence, an addict inal involvement while at the same time who possesses these illegally may be arrested treating the conditions that may have preand imprisoned. Furthermore, since the cipitated and reinforced the continuance addict usually has to procure them from an of drug use. illicit and expensive source of supply, a This paper will present a typology of criminal pattern of obtaining funds to four treatment frameworks that have been purchase the necessary is generally developed recently, each having achieved instituted. In this respect, practically all some degree of success, and that offer more addicts are criminals who violate the law; hope for the future. In addition, note will they are imprisoned in considerable num bers for what may be long periods of time.