Maintenance Programs are a form of harm reduction and another tactic legalizers use to subvert the drug paraphernalia laws, which have served to discourage drug use. The proponents of drug legalization support such programs as needle exchange and heroin or methadone distribution; however, opponents of legalization feel these methods only increase and prolong drug use and addiction.

Needle Handout Programs

• There are no scientific-based studies that prove these programs prevent AIDS and discourage drug use.
• These programs encourage illegal drug use.
• Handing needles to addicts undermines treatment programs.
• Spread infectious diseases through dirty needles, that were once clean, and risky sexual behavior.
• Serves as an inferior approach to public health instead of an aggressive outreach.
• These programs create health, social and economic problems for communities as they attempt to handout needles.

Heroin or Methadone Distribution

• These programs do not account for the physical and psychological effects of opiates.
• Opiates have an immensely addictive potency, and these programs prolong this addiction.
• Not only do these programs unsuccessfully treat opiate addiction, they do not treat the addiction of any other drug. Most addicts abuse several different drugs.
• Pregnant women remain opiate dependent, causing their babies to suffer from several weeks of methadone withdrawal.
• Prescribing methadone to an addict is enforcing the message that they are a hopeless case.
• In many areas maintenance programs have become a meeting place for addicts to get high.
• Maintenance programs supported by the government foster the public belief that taking drugs is normal and harmless.
• In the long run methadone programs are not as cost effective as in-patient abstinence treatment.

“Safe” Crack Kits

These kits include:

• Rubber tubing to be placed on crack pipes to prevent burned lips
• Condoms for sexual relations
• Alcohol pads to clean mouthpiece of pipes
• Vitamin C tablets to boost immunity
• There is no safe way to use crack or any other drug. This approach has no therapeutic value in the way of treatment and reinforces to the user that drug use is acceptable.