doi:10.7916/d8-dtfr-yf10Oral history interview with William S. Burroughs, 1981Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997oral historiesmixed materialAuthorsDrug addicts--United StatesDrug abuse--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug traffic--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug control--History--20th century.--United StatesHeroin abuse--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug addicts--Rehabilitation--United StatesMethadone maintenance--History--20th century.--United StatesCrime--New York (State)Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997In this interview, William S. Burroughs discusses his life and career, focusing on his drug addiction. He reviews the autobiographical details of his novel "Junkie." He reviews his drug history, including his use of heroin, morphine, opium, and methadone, and explains his cycles of abstinence and relapse. Burroughs describes how heroin affected his creativity. He recalls his experience detoxing from drugs through Dr. John Y. Dent's apomorphine therapy. He describes how a narcotic craving feels, and discusses secondary abstinence syndrome. He discusses the statistics of alcohol abuse among recovering narcotic addicts, and describes his own drinking habits both on and off of narcotics. Burroughs discusses the idea of drug maintenance, and describes his self-maintenance on a steady dose of opium, and compares that to the methadone maintenance program. Burroughs discusses American narcotic policies, and how they've changed since the popularization of methadone in the 1960s. He breaks down the involvement of both Jewish and Italian crime syndicates in the New York City drug trade, and how each group's leadership affected the price and quality of the drugs being trafficked. He discusses his excursions in Morocco, France, and England, and discusses how he was able to obtain drugs in those various countries. He recalls changes he observed in the New York City drug scene between the late 1940s just before he left the country, and the early 1970s when he returned from abroad