The Rise and Fall of Methadone

Methadone was introduced as a legal way to care for people with addiction. This was the first time that an opioid could be prescribed to somebody solely to treat addiction since the early 20th century. But because, you know, racism was challenged, but it wasn't overcome, methadone was implemented through a set of carceral mechanisms. In other words, people were carefully surveilled. They were punished if they didn't follow the treatment of regimen and the outcomes were measured by whether people committed crimes or not.