In the 1970's drug control has taken the forms of laws making drug possession and purchase illegal and of drug detoxification programs. Criminalizing drug trade has wedded addicts to the criminal subculture and has increased medical risks such as impure drugs. Furthermore, the repressive policy does not seem to have had a deterrent effect or to have reduced drug accessibility. The high relapse rate and general lack of success even for long term therapy are attributed to the nature of efficiency-oriented therapeutic insitutions and to the inability of addicts to do without drugs. Drug control might be more successful if therapy programs were made more attractive to addicts and if contacts were initiated in the street rather than at centers. The introduction off methadone treatment might accomplish these ends, but there is some question as to whether methadone is an attempt to cover up the problem rather than to provide humanistic assistance. Moreover, critics charge that participants in methadone programs are likely to use other drugs together with methadone, which may result in death. Critics also feel that acceptance of methadone treatment means resignation to addiction, but statistics indicate some success of methadone detoxification efforts. Although the heroin market cannot be eliminated by methadone treatment, such therapy may bring more addicts into long term programs and further their social integration. Heroin decriminalization models include non prosecution of drug offenders coupled with limitation of legal access to drugs, prescription of maintenance doses by physicians (either to established addicts or to the public at large), and unrestricted sale of heroin. However, heroin decriminalization is judged inadvisable because of the possibility of increased heroin use and because of the implied rejection of therapeutic efforts. A 42-item bibliography is supplied. --in German.