Call for urgent review of methadone programme

The Government's Methadone Maintenance Programme "im- prisons teenagers in a life of addiction and crime" and should be urgently reviewed, a new report says.

The report Adolescents and Alcohol/Drug Addiction Services, written by Mr Jim Cumberton of the Drugs Prevention Alliance and published by The Wheel group was released in Dublin yesterday. It warns that the Irish taxpayer may in future have to fund compensation claims from the families of children "damaged" by the programme.

The almost total reliance on methadone as the means of treating heroin addiction needs to be urgently reviewed, writes Mr Cumberton, who calls for a large increase in the number of detoxification beds in the State.

Methadone is more physically addictive than heroin, it is a de- motivating drug and its use by the authorities is perpetuating addiction among young users.

"A consequence of the emphasis on methadone main-tenance is that there has been only a marginal increase in the availability of detoxification and drug-free treatment for heroin addiction." There are currently just under 40 detoxification beds in the State and more than 7,000 registered methadone users.

Community-based addiction services in Dublin are now dealing with heroin-addicted children as young as 14, a spokeswoman for The Wheel said yesterday.

Prescribing methadone to adolescents is "inappropriate and dangerous". No-one under the age of 20 should be prescribed methadone, says the report.

"Not only is it impossible for a city or country to medicate its way out of opiate addiction but also the pervasive availability of methadone maintenance at present is a major barrier to young people seeking recovery".

The report says early, drug-free intervention is crucial, and more cost-effective in the long run. A radical change is needed in the State's drug service policies to make them relevant to the needs of under 20s.

"The most urgent initial priority in any new policy is for a major increase in the supply of detoxification facilities for under 20s and a commitment to ensure they can gain access to them."