Hmmm, I wonder how this affects addiction and recovery for opiate addicts? Based on what I'm reading here, it wouldn't be out of left field to hypothesize that because of this opiate addicts are more likely to relapse.
The life of an opiate addict, especially a "low rung" heroin addict on the street, consists of prostituting, stealing, going through withdrawal, and many other stressful and traumatic experiences. These would certainly leave an impact on anyone, but according to this, the blow of all these things are blunted due to the very drug they are using! So, it would make sense that relapse would be more common.