A LEGAL FIX?

Regarding Monday's article "Law may help drug addicts": I take strong
exception to the initial sentence on an otherwise informative article:
"Drug addicts soon could get a legal fix from their family physician." This
unfortunate choice of words perpetuates the myth that medications used to
treat addictions are merely substituting one drug for another.

The term "fix" refers to an addict's compulsive use of a drug in order to
get high and avoid withdrawal symptoms. Medication treatment of addictive
disorders seeks to correct brain-chemistry changes that occur after years
of abuse with repeated episodes of intoxication and withdrawal. There are
several medications that have been found to be helpful in the treatment of
addictive disorders, but these are tools that must be used wisely in the
context of a comprehensive recovery program. No one medication is
appropriate for everybody, and the choice of which medication, if any, to
use must be made on a case-by-case basis.

Perpetuating the "fix" stereotype is the last thing the addict needs.
Instead, the engagement of the addict into effective treatment, with or
without medications as deemed appropriate, is what ultimately will make a
difference.

Hector D. Barreto, M.D. is an Addiction Medicine Specialist