New figures from Scotland show that methadone is now the main source of drugs deaths north of the border.
In 2011 a total of 584 people died from drugs - a ''record high'' according to The Scotsman newspaper. This figure includes alcohol, which killed 129 people in 2011, and heroin (206 victims), but the biggest source of deaths was methadone - 275 in Scotland last year.
The problem is that methadone is highly addictive, some say worse than heroin, prescribed by GPs as a treatment for addicts. Health service commissioners still consider it a good thing.
Dr Roy Robertson, chairman of the National Forum on Drug Related Deaths, said, "If you stay on it, your life improves. People's weight increases; they become more sociable; their ability to work increases. So it's a good drug.''
Other arguments in favour of methadone are that it takes injecting drug users out of the illegal drugs market and has been responsible for reducing the number of deaths by HIV/AIDS (by the prevention of sharing dirty needles).
The NHS Methadone Treatment Programme looks impressive in theory and could be used to help addicts come down off their opiates -- but only if it is used with psychotherapy, which can address the underlying causes of their addiction. But psychotherapy is an individual and relatively expensive treatment and would be impossible to offer to all registered drug addicts as there aren't enough therapists in the UK. As a result, almost a quarter of a million Britons are given a daily dose of methadone with very few getting any kind of supporting psychotherapy. This is what the NHS call ''treatment'' for drug addicts and they measure their success by the number of people who continue taking the drug, rather than the number who become abstinent.
An editorial in The Scotsman last week said, ''The reality is that methadone has become just another commodity on the street, traded by dealers, and it is safe to assume the NHS is the source of the vast majority, if not all, of that methadone. At the very least there is now a case for examining whether the methadone programme is really working. Is it really a help, or is it merely a state-issued drug, making the problem worse?''
We would welcome a debate on this issue, particularly if the NHS would consider funding other types of drug treatment programmes. At the moment it seems that the only option available to injecting drug users is to prescribe methadone indefinitely.
The frustration from those of us who work in the residential rehab sector is that the type of abstinence-based treatment that we offer is not offered to those drug addicts who approach their GPs for help. This is despite the fact that abstinence-based treatment really does work. At the rehab clinic where I work over 60% of those who complete treatment manage to stay abstinent.
The Scottish Tories are up in arms about the new drug death figures and Ruth Davidson, Tory leader in the Scottish parliament, said, "This appalling loss of life illustrates the human disaster that is the methadone programme. It would appear hundreds of families are being blighted by what is little more than legalised drug taking on an industrial scale."
Similar statements against methadone were made by the English Conservatives before they got into power. Since then we have been waiting for a change of policy, or some sign that the NHS will consider residential rehab treatment as a viable option for those who find themselves addicted to drugs.
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The General Register Office, from where these stats have been pulled (http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/drug-related-deaths/2011/j23789817.htm) only records that of the 584 drug related deaths, 275 were taking methadone at the time of death. It doesn't mean it caused the death, it just means it was one of the drugs they were using at the time of death. In fact, from the stats it's possible (though not likely) that methadone caused NO deaths, and was simply being used at the same time as the drug which caused the overdose.
In fact, there is no mention of heroin deaths in the article
Quoted directly from the second paragraph of the article; (my caps, just to make it clear)
"This figure includes alcohol, which killed 129 people in 2011, AND HEROIN (206 VICTIMS), but the biggest source of deaths was methadone - 275 in Scotland last year. "
If you don't know what you've said, why should anyone take you seriously?
it's fair to say that methadone maintenance is by far the cheapest option to deal with heroin addiction, but is the best route we have at the moment (heroin-maintenance would be far superior to methadone maintenance, but this is currently still illegal in this country for irrational political reasons) for harm-reduction. abstinence method is very unsuccessful atm even with the 12 step program, the vast majority don't manage it after many months; this route arguably is only good for those who have simply had enough and therefore have enough drive to succeed - most addicts do not arrive at this point for a number of years unfortunately. preferably, it would be the best option to keep them on heroin provided by the NHS until they are ready to try abstinence (which i agree needs much more money behind it when it is needed), but methadone is the second best option we have as a way to stabilise these patients before they try to make that transition.
i agree with your point about Big Pharma and Big Government though - do not trust these people to make decisions on this as they either have financial incentives or are very easily manipulated by the tabloids and end up not providing the
The £36 million you speak of is Westmidden funded, and unless your drink of choice is buckie, or white lightning, drunk al fresco with your mates, and your consumption is as "now and then" as you say, then the minimum pricing will barely affect you. Unless drinking meths has totally blinded you, you might have noticed we have a wee drink problem in Scotland, and increasing the cost of cheap cider, to take it above the price of bottled water can only help alleviate it.
Which user name do you use at the hootsman, I think I recognise the slavering, attacking 'style'.
"Disgusting policies". Nice.
Now i do think pubs charge way too much for a pint, i also think a lot of things are overpriced on our lovely island that we call the UK, i do not think raising the price of alcohol will stop binge drinkers though, all it will do is affect those who enjoy the odd drink at weekends, there is a problem with younger people coming out of clubs every single weekend totally drunk and its causing a massive problem for the NHS but i do not believe those who buy alcohol for home consumption are the problem, unfortunately the SNP policy will affect those who buy for the home the most and will have zero impact on the real problem of teenagers ( 18+ ) rolling about drunk on the street after they come out of the pubs and clubs every weekend.
the truth is its cheap and getting cheaper to keep a massive problem controled and there is no money in the pot for rehab end ex
(in Edinburgh) totally disinterested, to the point of actually being a hinderance to recovery. What % of your substance abuse patients are privately funded ?