THERE IS A PLACE FOR METHADONE

During the 1960s, heroin use reached epidemic proportions in the
United States, spawning significant increases in crime and deaths
from overdose. This stimulated a search for innovative and more
effective methods to treat the growing number of individuals
dependent on opiates. This search resulted in the use of a chemical
substance called methadone hydrochloride to maintain those
individuals with opiate dependence.

The 1998 National Institutes of Health consensus conference
maintained the methadone maintenance treatment, while not for
everyone, was effective in reducing illicit opiate drug use, reducing
crime, enhancing social productivity and reducing the spread of AIDS
and hepatitis.

While education and prevention programs are extremely important, drug
addicts, like alcoholics, are another segment of our population in
need of attention. It would be inhumane not to provide treatment.
Vermont is only one of eight states currently not offering the full
array of methadone maintenance treatment. Ninety-five percent of our
heroin addicts commit crimes to support their addiction. The
financial costs of untreated opiate dependence to the individual, the
family and society are in excess of $110 billion per year. Every $1
spent on treatment saves $7 in other costs.

There are many people in recovery in the community in respected
professions leading healthy, productive lives. People do recover from
addictions. The 1998 National Institutes of Health consensus
conference states that evidence has accumulated on the
neurobiological aspects of opiate dependence and concluded that
opiate dependence is a brain-related disorder with the
characteristics of a mental illness.

It's less costly and more efficient to have a stand-alone
comprehensive substance abuse treatment center than having one
attached to a hospital because of the cost of overhead. A stand-alone
methadone treatment clinic would be ineffective. If done in
conjunction with providing counseling, health care, housing and
employment assistance, it would ensure a greater likelihood of
recovery from opiate dependence. A comprehensive methadone treatment
program will not add to our already increasing drug and crime
statistics. It may, in fact, allow some opiate dependent addicts to
recover and return to gainful employment, leaving a lifestyle of
crime behind.

Rich Carlson

Mendon