title: Innovations: Alcohol & drug abuse: Methadone maintenance in Europe and Hungary: degrees of sociocultural resistance.
abstract: Opiate substitution treatment, commonly referred to as maintenance treatment, was introduced in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. This column discusses approaches to opioid maintenance treatment in Europe and focuses on the introduction of methadone maintenance treatment in Hungary. Although persons have received methadone maintenance in Hungary since 1987, consensus guidelines were not adopted until 1998 and were not confirmed by the Hungarian parliament until 2000. Hungary encountered initial difficulties in introducing methadone maintenance, and it is hoped that Hungary's joining the European Union in 2004 will help to make opiate substitution treatment more widely available.
authors.affiliation: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Orthopedagogics, 1097 Budapest, Ecseri út 3, Hungary. gerevichj@axelero.hu
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerevich
authors.forename: Léna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polgár
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bácskai
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003469:Culture; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005060:Europe; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016730:Program Development; D011584:Psychology; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone