Abuse of brown sugar, a crude form of heroin, has cut across all social strata in India rendering the economic and social costs high. From a public health point of view, detoxification is an important step in the rehabilitation of the addict, even if it only serves to keep the habit cost down (as in short-term detoxification). Outpatient detoxification, which reduces the cost of treatment, is described with clinical guidelines. 8 references. (Author abstract modified)