doi:10.7916/d8-6er3-b218Oral history interview with Amparo, 1980Amparooral historiesmixed materialDrug addicts--United StatesHeroin abuse--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug addicts--Rehabilitation--United StatesMethadone maintenance--History--20th century.--United StatesPuerto Ricans--New York (State)AmparoAmparo starts the interview with context about her family and youth in Puerto Rico. She describes moving to New York City in 1947. Amparo reflects on how she first started using heroin in 1952 as an employee at Long Island College Hospital. She describes the dealing operation of the coworker who introduced her, her initial reaction, and what appealed to her about heroin. She describes different aspects of use: her addiction within seven days of use, her switch to mainlining a year later, and her needle maintenance regimen. She discusses the struggle of maintaining addiction as quality and prices of the drug changed. She describes being arrested in the 1970s, her experience as an addict in prison at Matteawan, treatment programs, and starting methadone maintenance. She reflects on her health and how she had made it to the age of seventy-one at the time of the interview