WHY PUT A TIME LIMIT ON LIFE-SAVING DRUG TREATMENT FOR HEROIN
ADDICTS?

Professor Neil McKeganey recently recommended the introduction of an
arbitrary limit on the duration of methadone treatment. In 2004, the
World Health Organisation, Unaids and the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime released a joint statement endorsing methadone and
buprenorphine treatment. In the same year, the WHO added methadone and
buprenorphine treatment to its essential drugs list.

Methadone treatment is one of the most frequently evaluated treatments
in medicine. It has been found to reduce substantially drug overdose
deaths, HIV infection, crime and heroin use while also improving
social functioning. If Prof McKeganey's advice is accepted, Scotland
can look forward to soaring drug overdose deaths, HIV infection, crime
and heroin use while the social functioning of injecting drug users
will deteriorate.

The UK already has one of the highest rates of drug overdose deaths in
Europe, with higher rates in Scotland than England.

Methadone and buprenorphine treatment should be treated like any other
medical treatment. That is, policy and practice should be based on
evidence, not on whim. There is no evidence to support Prof
McKeganey's advice. If his advice is followed, then some additional
drug users may only become drug-free because they have died. This is
not what medicine should be for.

(DR) Alex Wodak,

Director, Alcohol and Drug Service St Vincent's Hospital,

Darlinghurst, Australia