Is the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts a good one?
For those unfamiliar with methadone treatment allow me elaborate. According to Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, methadone is a synthetic opioid created in a lab and is commonly prescribed for treatment of opiate addictions. Individuals addicted to “heroin, oxycodone and hydromorphone” receive daily doses of methadone to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. CAMH expert’s rationalized the use of methadone as minimizing the risks associated with opioid drug use; primarily preventing the spread of diseases such as HIV & Hepatitis C through needle sharing (CAMH.)
Is the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts a good one? Is it morally acceptable to substitute one addiction for the …show more content…
Similar to how conventional opiates bind to opiate receptor sites within our bodies, methadone acts to competes for the same opiate receptor sites. In doing so, it produces an indirect euphoric feeling. As euphoria sets in, the body longs and crave this indirect sensation resulting in both a physical and psychological dependency. Brian Paolino a former addict turned addictions counsellor, recalls his daunting experienced as he endeavored to quit methadone. Brian began methadone treatment in 2002 and a decade later would find himself free from the clutches of methadone. Brian states “While methadone saved my life, quitting the cure was just as hard as kicking his original habit. It was hard. I didn’t go to detox. I had to do it as an out-patient with my family doctor.” (Howorun)As detailed by Brian Paolino’s tale; prolonged use of methadone subsequently led to the tradeoff of one addiction for another. Experts from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health arguably states that by the modern definition of addiction, methadone “fails to meet a full definition of “addictive” when we look at how and why the drug is used.”(CAMH)Since methadone is offered as an alternative medical treatment and prescribed only to individuals who are already addicted to opiate use, its actions are meant to free individuals from the daily dangers of illegal drug procurement and focuses on the intent of improving the individual’s quality of life. A study conducted at Ghent University, Department of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Consulting, Belgium; concurs CAMH’s views regarding methadone dependency, veering from the stigma associated with the dependency and focusing more towards quality of life as they state “Opiate-dependent individuals valued methadone 's ability to help them function normally, overcome their psychological problems and dependence on illicit opiates,
For those unfamiliar with methadone treatment allow me elaborate. According to Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, methadone is a synthetic opioid created in a lab and is commonly prescribed for treatment of opiate addictions. Individuals addicted to “heroin, oxycodone and hydromorphone” receive daily doses of methadone to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. CAMH expert’s rationalized the use of methadone as minimizing the risks associated with opioid drug use; primarily preventing the spread of diseases such as HIV & Hepatitis C through needle sharing (CAMH.)
Is the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts a good one? Is it morally acceptable to substitute one addiction for the …show more content…
Similar to how conventional opiates bind to opiate receptor sites within our bodies, methadone acts to competes for the same opiate receptor sites. In doing so, it produces an indirect euphoric feeling. As euphoria sets in, the body longs and crave this indirect sensation resulting in both a physical and psychological dependency. Brian Paolino a former addict turned addictions counsellor, recalls his daunting experienced as he endeavored to quit methadone. Brian began methadone treatment in 2002 and a decade later would find himself free from the clutches of methadone. Brian states “While methadone saved my life, quitting the cure was just as hard as kicking his original habit. It was hard. I didn’t go to detox. I had to do it as an out-patient with my family doctor.” (Howorun)As detailed by Brian Paolino’s tale; prolonged use of methadone subsequently led to the tradeoff of one addiction for another. Experts from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health arguably states that by the modern definition of addiction, methadone “fails to meet a full definition of “addictive” when we look at how and why the drug is used.”(CAMH)Since methadone is offered as an alternative medical treatment and prescribed only to individuals who are already addicted to opiate use, its actions are meant to free individuals from the daily dangers of illegal drug procurement and focuses on the intent of improving the individual’s quality of life. A study conducted at Ghent University, Department of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Consulting, Belgium; concurs CAMH’s views regarding methadone dependency, veering from the stigma associated with the dependency and focusing more towards quality of life as they state “Opiate-dependent individuals valued methadone 's ability to help them function normally, overcome their psychological problems and dependence on illicit opiates,