Methadone and Its Unintended Consequences in Society: A Historical Perspective

It has been more than forty two years since Dr.undesireable elements. For centuries a large part of
Marie Nyswander and Vincent P. Dole, a husband andWestern ethics has been based upon the view that
wife team, announced a scientific breakthrough whichonly good can come from good; only evil from evil. If
was considered, at that time, the most advancedthere is crime, it is because of evil persons, evil
step in the American Medical community. Thisgroups, evil values. Yet...much of what is associated
advanced discovery was a synthetic drug that wouldwith our social problems is closely related to things
enhance medical supervision of drug addicts and theirwe deem good. (J.M. Martin and J.P. Fitzpatrick,
heroin addiction. Dole and Nyswander indicated thatDelinquent Behaviors, Random House, New York,
the use of methadone by heroin addicts appeared to1964, pg 5).
alleviate their hunger for heroin, thus reducing theIn a further search of the litersture, I found that
necessity for crime against property; and the needsociologists Peter L. Berger, Emile Durkheim, Robert
for addicted individuals to enlist new converts to theMerton, and Max Weber all discuss this sociological
drug culture. "Methadonia," a documentary bydysfunction. To improve our understanding of the
filmmaker, Michel Negroponte, recently aired on HBOdrug problem, we should view it from the sociologist's
created a renewed interest in the synthetic opiateplatform. In other words, we must be knowledgeable
methadone. During the 1960's methadone was usedof how the problem is sustained through social and
primarily to block the euphoric effect of heroinpolitical interaction. For example, Peter Berger informs
addiction and to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawlus that a sociological problem is quite different from a
from heroin. Mr. Negroponte's film focused mainly onsocial problem. Social problem is the official
recovering addicts at the New York Center forinterpretation and explanation when something in
Addition Treatment Services, which is located onsociety does not work the way it should. The
Broadway at Houston Street.sociological problem, on the other hand, is
The 90 minutes film followed the addicts throughunderstanding the social interaction. Therefore, it is
their murky world of addiction while respecting theirnot important why something goes wrong, according
efforts to stay clean. The film also shows howto the authorities, but how the system works as a
methadone can lead to an addiction worse thanunit; and by what means it is held together.
heroin or other addictive drugs. The documentaryTo echo Berger once again, he further points out
highlighted a trend in which methadone users oftenthat, the fundamental sociological problem is not
develop secondary additions to prescription drugs.crime but the law, not divorce but marriage, not racial
These prescription drugs, combined with methadone,discrimination but racial stratification, not revolution
produce a euphoric rush and, too often, an addictionbut goverment. If we accept Berger's concept then
that is more life-threatening than caused by herointhe foundamental sociological problem in this instance
addiction. Before proceeding further, my readersis not addiction but methadone.
should understand what methadone is. Methadone isIn light of this theory we may conclude that the drug
a synthetic chemical discovered by Germany duringproblem in the United States is a sociological problem
World War II, when their supply of pain killing opiatesand not a social problem as it is commonly defined by
were in short supply. Today, in some instances, itauthorities. It appear the problem is born out of the
continues to be used as a pain-killer. Methadone isunenforceable laws and ineffective political
addictive as is all other opiates such as heroin,bureaucracies, and not the inherent qualities of
demerol, morphine, barbituates, and alcohol.individuals. Naturally certain personality types such as
Therefore, abuse or over-use of these drugs willthe passive-dependent are disproportionately
result in two major consequences; (1) systemic bodilyassociated with addiction. These personality types
tolerance, and (2) specific physical withdrawaland their association with drug use are often
symptoms that occur with discontinued use.explained by the socio-psychological process leading
Since the discovery of methadone, the treatment ofto addiction.
drug addiction in the United States has reached theHistorically, this society has been inundated with
level of mega business. It is now an intrinsical part ofbureaucratic decisions to institute criminal law to
the Nation's economy, and becoming moreregulate private morality.
entrenched each day. In the process, the intimateIn 1914 the Harrison Act, was passed to control all
doctor/patient relationship originally sought in theopiates. This legislation defined all addicts as criminals
methadone clinic been overturned. In its place is theand many doctors prescribing opiates as law violators.
current interest in Medicaide reimbursement; client'sThe limited effectiveness of the law is often seen as
return visits, and policing clients for strict adherencethe first step in the institutionalization of drug use as
to drug abstinence.a socially created evil. Later, the Marijuana Tax Act
Unintended, Unforeseen Consequences in Society Itand other punitive regulations compounded this
would appear that the chemists, who discoveredeffect. These ineffective and inappropriate legislations
methadone, and those who introduced methadone torepresent an attempt by moral entrepreneurs to
the United States in 1947, intended its use to easecontrol social morality.
the pain and suffering that was the by-product ofSociologists has concluded that the social cost of
war and injury. Dole and Nyswander intended goalseeking criminal law solution to control social morality
was to used methadone to stem the tide of heroingreatly outweighs any social benefits that might
addiction and its social ills in the United States.result. If we examine the situation very carefully, we
However, they could not foresee methadonewill discover that the same kind of bureaucratic
someday being partly responsible for society's furtherdecision making philosophy is at work in an effort to
deterioration, socially, economically, and, politically. Thisresolve the drug problem. The difference this time is
social phenomenon of unintended results of humanthat the approach is not law but chemical; as
action in society is described by sociologist, Maxwitnessed by the widespread proliferation of
Weber, Robert Merton, and Robert Nisbet. Themethadone maintence clinics across the Nation.
American sociologist Robert Merton refers to thisUpdate: Dr. Vincent P. Dole, Methadone Researcher,
concept as manifest and latent functions. The formerIs Dead at 93, New York August 3, 2006.
are the desired and intended function of socialReferences:
processes, and the latter the unintended undesireableBerger, Peter L., Invitation to Sociology. New York,
processes. Robert Nisbet, was most direct inDoubleday Company, 1963.
explaining this theme:Weber, Max., The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
In the popular view...we have a tendency to think ofCapitalism. New York, Charles Scribner's & Sons,
social problems as the consequence solely of evil or1968.