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Maintenance with short acting opioids such as morphine and heroin (diamorphine) has been the subject of increased interest in recent years. It has been argued that these drugs could be of considerable benefit to that large sub-group of problematic, dependent users who refuse to accept or who respond poorly to "traditional" chemotherapeutic or drug-free modalities.
The United Kingdom has always permitted maintenance with short-acting opioids, though their utilization has been kept to a minimum due to political pressures in recent decades. Switzerland launched an experiment with heroin and morphine maintenance in 1994 that has since been expanded and integrated into that country's treatment system. Other nations have announced their intention to begin heroin maintenance studies — e.g., The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Australia.