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Health experts have known that methadone is a useful drug to combat heroin addiction since the 1960s. Methadone programs, however, have always been controversial and have never gained widespread acceptance. In 1995, there were an estimated 500,000 to two million injection drug users in the United States, compared to methadone treatment capacity for 115,000 individuals. The emergence of injection drug use as a major risk factor for HIV/AIDS in the last two decades has forced policy makers to re-evaluate methadone programs. The benefits and costs can be difficult to quantify financially; however, decisions must be made.