The Drug
Methadone is a narcotic drug used as a pain reliever to withdrawal addictions from Heroin
The Use
Methadone is taken orally usually in the form of pills, and liquids. While the pain relief from using Methadone last around 4-8 hours, It actually stays in the system for up to 59 hours
Short Term Effects
Symptoms of the first 24 hours:
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Coughing
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Difficulty swallowing
- Chest pains
Long Term Effects
- Tooth Decay
- Brain Damage
- Poisoning which leads to death
- anxiety
- Lack/Loss of strength
- Weight Changes
- Tunnel vision
Statistics
120,000 people in the U.S. use methadone to control their withdrawal symptoms from Heroin. Only works 35% of the Time
The number of drug poisoning deaths involving Methadone has increase by 700% between 2001-2014
In 2014 Methadone made up 26% of ALL poison related deaths
Methadone causes twice as many deaths as the drug heroin does
In 2014, 210 people died from Methadone overdose in the state of Maryland
Credits
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html
Addiction Hope https://www.addictionhope.com/methadone/
Guide Doc http://guidedoc.com/heroin-addiction-treatment-success-rates-statistics
Novus Medical Detox Center http://novusdetox.com/methadone-facts-info-effects.php