Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

—(348your money on, but methadone maintenance can't be forgotten, becauseit is the most likely procedure to engage an addict. It is themost likely procedure to lead him into a productive and crime-freelife.Mr. Murphy. Doctor, I am glad to see that you suggest that a collectionbank of data, particularly from federally funded programs,be instituted. I think my colleagues here and the expert witnesses wehave that have testified before us liave all suggested this. Seemingly,this is one thing we all agree on, that we are not collecting all ourinformation.Have you any ideas how we could do this ?Dr. Kramer. In order to gather the maximum amount of data, youhave to have a handle on the people who potentially can provide it.The only handle that is generally available to the Federal Governmentis if they give the money, they can insist on the answers. In addition,nonfederally funded programs might have the opportunity to seekspecial grants to provide personnel who will assist in compiling avariety of information for the use of tlie program as well as for submissionto the data bank. The data banks may be set up on a regionalbasis with some sort of a central bank, perhaps, here in Washington.Some degree of regionalization may be appropriate, because the kindsof programs, the extent of drug abuse, differs from one part of thecountry to another.Mr. Murphy. Comisel suggests the confidentiality element involvedhere, that we are revealing—obviously if you are starting tallcabout collecting data, you are revealing names, et cetera. The Governorof Georgia stated today that the Army was reluctant to turn over tohim information about fellows who were about to be discharged whoare addicts because of the confidential nature of that infoniiation.How would you handle that ?Dr. Kramer. Absolutely, I believe that any law which is writtenwhich provides for the collection of such infomiation must mcludean absolute provision for confidentiality—I would underline thatmustbe built into it or else the individuals involved in collecting datawill be reluctant, patients will be reluctant to go into programs thatthey fear might reveal them.The importance of collection of data is not the importance of findingout specifically who the individuals are, but rather understandingthe problem as a scientific one.Mr. Murphy. Thank you. Doctor.Mr. Perito. Just two more questions, Doctor.We heard from Dr. Frances Gearing and she revealed some veryimpressive statistics about the efficacy of the methadone maintenanceapproach as far as the reduction of crime is concerned for those addictsunder treatment. Do you know of any similar studies of efficacy oftreatment modality related to reduction in crime rate on diiig-freetherapeutic approaches ?Dr. Kramer. Yes; the civil commitment program in Californiaalso reported on the reduction in convictions of individuals on outpatientstatus in their ]Drogram and it sliowed a fairly marked decreasein convictions. The problem in this particular data is that inpractice, when someone committed to the civil addict program inCalifornia is rearrested, even on new charges, often the new charges