NEW YORK, NY August 01, 2005 —City health officials hope new drug-treatment guidelines from Washington will dramatically change the way heroin addicts can receive help. WNYC's Fred Mogul has more.

For two years, public and private centers have been able to treat addicts with a drug called "buprenorphine." Some studies find buprenorphine acts more quickly and lasts longer at weaning heroin users from the notoriously addictive drug than methadone. It is also said to have fewer side effects.

Like methadone, "bupe," as it is widely called, is highly regulated. A bill passed by both houses of Congress and expected to be signed into law by the White House expands the number of patients that can be treated from 30 per healthcare system to 30 per physician.

The city health department estimates only about 1,000 people a month get the drug now but hopes 100,000 will be using it by the end of the decade.

About 20 percent of heroin users in the entire country live in New York City. That's about 200,000 people. Only a small fraction are using methadone, but officials believe many more would be willing to take bupe, if it were more widely available.