A systematic review 1 including 11 studies (2 056 subjects) with illicit opiate use as the outcome measure, 24 studies (7 173 subjects) with criminal activities as the outcome measure, and 8 studies (1 797+ subjects) with HIV risk behaviour as the outcome measure, was abstracted in DARE. There were significant and favourable effect on illicit opiate use, criminal activities and HIV risk behaviour. In a sample of opiate-dependent individuals in methadone treatment one could expect a 67% decrease in illicit opiate use, a 61% decrease in HIV risk behaviour, a 85% decrease in their drug-related criminal behaviour, and a 61% decrease in their drug- and property-related criminal behaviour, and a 58% decrease in their drug- and non-drug related criminal behaviours.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by limitations in review methodology. For an unknown reason, the authors had dropped six studies with non-significant results from their analysis of criminal behaviour to achieve homogeneity.
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