HELP ADDICTS TO BE DRUG FREE

DR Robert Newman once again rides to the defence of Scotland's
methadone programme suggesting that with nearly half of Scotland's
estimated 51,000 addicts on methadone that the programme should be
extended even further -- presumably to the other half of our addict
population ('The case for methadone', Letters, January 4).

It is often said that no one treatment suits all addicts. There is a
wisdom in that statement which seems to have eluded Dr Newman. Rather
than seek to induct increasing numbers of drug users onto our
methadone programme our drug policy has finally recognised that all
drug abuse treatment (methadone included) must be about enabling
addicts to become drug free.

It would be interesting to hear how Dr Newman has succeeded in getting
the addicts in his care off methadone. Strangely though that is a
topic about which he has very little to say. Is that because he views
methadone as a life long medication from which there is no recovery?

Neil McKeganey, Professor of Drug Misuse Research

University of Glasgow.