Coalition to focus more on abstinence in drugs policy

This concerns the UK and not the US but I thought it was still an interesting read. The original link is

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/coalition-to-focus-more-on-abstinence-in-drugs-policy/

and it comes from THE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE

The Government says a “new approach” is needed on drug abuse, one which focuses on helping addicts to get completely drug-free.
Home Office minister James Brokenshire has set out the strategy, also saying that heroin substitute drug methadone would be used less widely than previously.

The last Government was slammed for its ‘harm prevention’ method of dealing with drug addicts with one report calling Labour’s £10 billion strategy an expensive failure.

Ambitious
Harm reduction is an approach which parks addicts on prescribed substitutes rather than focusing on rehabilitation and abstinence.

In March The Times newspaper reported addicts were pleading with the Government to help them get off drugs completely, and not just leave them on methadone.

One former addict, Rosie, told The Times methadone is “almost more of a poison than heroin, there doesn’t ever seem to be an end to it”.

And Jay, who started smoking heroin before he was 18, said he was given methadone in prison, instead of getting help to become drug-free.

Ambitious
Speaking earlier this week Mr Brokenshire said: “We need a new approach and need to be more ambitious. More focus on a pathway to recovery, so users are free of addiction and can contribute to society.”

He remarked: “We want users to be clear of addiction. However, we acknowledge that stabilising someone is still a part of that process, particularly in relation to chaotic and vulnerable users such as sex workers.

“Stabilising users can then lead to a pathway of recovery where they are free of drugs and can contribute to society by gaining employment, not held in addiction.”

Failure
Last week the Home Office announced a consultation paper on the Government’s drug strategy for England, Wales and Scotland which included proposals to withdraw benefits from alcoholics and drug addicts who refused treatment.

In Scotland Professor Neil McKeganey has been a strong critic of handing out methadone to addicts.

In February he said Scottish drug addicts who receive methadone as a heroin substitute but are still hooked on the harder drug are proof the system is failing them.

He made the comments following the case of a 34-year-old man who had received methadone for free from the state for nearly 20 years, despite admitting he had never given up heroin.

Serious
Prof McKeganey said: “Cases such as these, involving people who have been on methadone for such a long period of time, demonstrate the need for serious questions to be asked about what possible benefit the methadone programme has done for them.

“This is by no means an isolated case and it is clear that the system itself is addicted to supplying methadone to heroin addicts.”