Barbara Del Pizzo

Methadone, an opiate drug administered to addicts in order to eliminate their cravings for heroin, has been lauded by many as an effective way to keep addicts clean. However, in the following viewpoint, Barbara Del Pizzo challenges the idea that methadone treatment programs help addicts kick their drug habit. Instead, she claims, most addicts in methadone programs continue to use heroin. Del Pizzo is a writer based in Nyack, New York, and a former heroin addict.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Del Pizzo, why did methadone use make her recovery more difficult?
2. In the author’s view, how do most heroin addicts support themselves?
3. What keeps junkies from getting sober, in Del Pizzo’s opinion"

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