Panda: I hesitate to even post this since the thread has rebounded , but I feel your recklessness needs to be addressed. I did, as I said I would, look at your referenced paper last evening. Sad to say, it is a joke. I knew that the authors sounded familiar. They are part of the "team" that published that laughingstock of a paper that claimed MDMA kills. Geez...
Here are just a couple of things to ponder, if you actually care; In "Toxicology and Pathology of Deaths Related to Methadone: Retrospective Review [Western Journal of Medicine, 172[1] , Steven B. Karch and Boyd G. Stephens examined umpteenth post mortems of methadone tolerated adults who were otherwise drug and disease free. I will post their conclusions verbatim:" The presence of methadone is often an incidental finding during postmortem examinations which is UNRELATED TO THE CAUSE OF DEATH [emphasis of course by me]."
For additional findings, see "Health Consequences Associated With Use of Methadone" [NIDA Monographs pp 83-1201, 1983] and "Medical Safety and Side Effects of Methadone Tolerant Individuals" [JAMA 223 {6} pp 665 -668, 1973] both by M.J. Kreek, et al.
Also, as for your truly reckless claim that heroin maintanence [licit or illicit] is safer than licit methadone maintanence, I will offer this for the Addiction Treatment Forum, verbatim: Deaths due to ANY causes in methadone- treated patients are three to four times LESS LIKELY than in untreated addicts."
www.atforum.com/SiteRoot/pages/faqs/faqs2health.html
One more thing, I have Steven Karch's email url if you would like to pose any questions or comments on this issue. I am but an interested [and effected] individual, he of course is a world reknowned researcher who could certainly help you see the error of your ways. Let me know, I will p.m. it to you.
[Edited to change capitalisation and add parentheses]
Here are just a couple of things to ponder, if you actually care; In "Toxicology and Pathology of Deaths Related to Methadone: Retrospective Review [Western Journal of Medicine, 172[1] , Steven B. Karch and Boyd G. Stephens examined umpteenth post mortems of methadone tolerated adults who were otherwise drug and disease free. I will post their conclusions verbatim:" The presence of methadone is often an incidental finding during postmortem examinations which is UNRELATED TO THE CAUSE OF DEATH [emphasis of course by me]."
For additional findings, see "Health Consequences Associated With Use of Methadone" [NIDA Monographs pp 83-1201, 1983] and "Medical Safety and Side Effects of Methadone Tolerant Individuals" [JAMA 223 {6} pp 665 -668, 1973] both by M.J. Kreek, et al.
Also, as for your truly reckless claim that heroin maintanence [licit or illicit] is safer than licit methadone maintanence, I will offer this for the Addiction Treatment Forum, verbatim: Deaths due to ANY causes in methadone- treated patients are three to four times LESS LIKELY than in untreated addicts."
www.atforum.com/SiteRoot/pages/faqs/faqs2health.html
One more thing, I have Steven Karch's email url if you would like to pose any questions or comments on this issue. I am but an interested [and effected] individual, he of course is a world reknowned researcher who could certainly help you see the error of your ways. Let me know, I will p.m. it to you.
[Edited to change capitalisation and add parentheses]