“Seriously speaking, the drugs that need government involvement are heroin and other opiates, methamphetamine, pharmaceutical abuse, alcohol abuse, and some other drugs of lower priority, like cocaine, synthetics, etc.
Perhaps the majority of heroin abuse began with pharmaceutical abuse, and it needs to be addressed medically, not just exchanging methadone addiction for heroin addiction. It is likely that a private organization could set up a one-week program to clean up junkies, followed by outpatient therapy. Mostly drugs that block heroins action in the body.”
As a recovered alcoholic, I say that the physical aspects of addiction are relatively simple, compared to the more challenging psychological aspects.
If somebody claims to have a simple solution, chances are good they really do not.
There is now a three drug cocktail to break heroin addiction, but it has some risk involved, so has only been used in Europe. However, the key to this risk are junkies who are already in very poor health may not be able to stand the process.
And because of the irony that the new breed of junkies are middle and upper middle class, and in overall much better health, makes it far more practical.
The first drug induces a four day coma, so they are unconscious while undergoing withdrawal. The second drug strips the heroin from their system so it is eliminated. And the third drug blocks heroin from working, so if they uptake more, they will get no effect from heroin.
After the four day period, they are physically clean, and because they did not use heroin as a “recreational drug”, but to alleviate physical pain that is likely long gone, they have far less motivation to start it again.
But they still need extensive monitoring and support to get back on track, along with repeated doses of the drug that neutralizes the effect of heroin. As long as they get that drug, they cannot get back on heroin.
Relatively speaking heroin is surprisingly easier to quit than tobacco, and definitely easier than alcohol.