Drug Replacement Therapy Essay

Drug Addicts are Dying to get Clean. In September of 2009, David Sword was released from prison after serving two years for drug related charges (“Florida Department of Corrections Julie L. Jones, Secretary”). As with most convicted felons, he truly wanted to make the most of this opportunity to become a productive member of society. Although David’s intentions were truly admirable, he also struggled with a disease from which there is no known cure. Commonly known as addiction, this disease is an epidemic that is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions across the globe. Less than one year after being released by the Florida Department of Corrections, on August 14th 2010, David Sword lost his battle with this disease (“David Sword, Jr. Obituary”). Ironically, his death did not come from using illegal street drugs. David died while receiving Methadone Maintenance Treatment, or (MMT). In his determination to remain free from the use of opiate-based drugs, David sought help through a method known as drug replacement therapy. …show more content…
Most addicts that seek treatment from Methadone Clinics are simply trying to avoid the withdrawal symptoms that can be very painful. This was the case with David, having gone through these symptoms in the past, he realized that it was very likely he would chose to break the law in order to continue using drugs. Not wanting to return to jail, David decided to try a different approach to getting clean. This time he entered an MMT clinic and found the relief he so desperately needed. As with most addicts, the warnings about side effects and interactions with other drugs were ignored. The drugs that can interact with methadone in an adverse way are quite numerous. The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) lists some of these drugs in the fifth chapter of its Client