New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS): Anti-addictive drug Methadone has been found to be effective in reducing drug use in India, says a study released here Thursday.

Methadone is a drug that can be taken orally or injected. It helps people dependent on morphine, heroin and other substances to reduce and stop their drug usage.

"Currently, five centres across India are offering methadone maintenance treatment. When the methadone treatment was used as a pilot project, it was found to be more effective with results of reduced drug use, injecting episodes and criminal behaviour amongst drug users," said Christina Albertin, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)representative for South Asia.

"The treatment using Methadone will also be a vital option for HIV prevention. So there is a need to scale up the process in India," Albertin added.

The pilot study was conducted by the UNODC in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).