“There is no evidence that use of methadone and buprenorphinefacilitates treatment of drug addicts,” declared Olga Krivonos, head of the Department of Medical Aid and Healthcare Development at Russia’s Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, in March 2009. Ukraine, which legalized the import of methadone only in December 2007, had a mere 5,000 people receiving it when I visited.
除了不可靠的政府资助之外，俄罗斯以及乌克兰大部分地区的减轻危害项目都缺乏一个基本工具：鸦片类物质替代物。俄罗斯已经立法禁止使用美沙酮。该国卫生保健与社会发展部下属的医疗援助和卫生保健发展局局长奥尔加·科里沃诺斯于2009年3月声称：“没有证据表明美沙酮和丁丙诺啡有利于对吸毒成瘾治疗。”而乌克兰迟至2007年12月才批准进口美沙酮，在我到访之时仅有5000人参与相关治疗。