It's time heroin addicts were treated fairly and not fobbed off with antiquated methadone and subutex prescriptions!
Methadone has it's place as a tool for treatment, and it enables countless addicts to function but for a lot of people it just doesn't work!
The prescribing of diamorphine or morphine sulphate in cases of addiction should be offered alongside methadone in a smokable and injectable form. (GP's have the option of prescribing diamorphine laced cigarettes for smokers)
This petition is about CHOICE first and foremost, and pushing for utilisation of all the opiates in the treatment of heroin addiction.
Methadone has around a 4% success rate (for eventual abstinence)
In Zurich they have prescribed injectable morphine in clinics and 'needle park' for the last ten years and have seen an 85% cut in the number of new addicts. This seems to be due to the de-glamourising of heroin use.
Clients attend the clinic three times a day and inject the diamorphine on the premises to avoid illicit street sales.
If we want to reduce drug related crime and health problems associated with injecting cut street heroin this is the way forward. We deserve to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect like any other patient. This is in line with current government harm reduction practices and it's time we made some advances in current addiction treatments.
Check my blog for updates/news and general moaning about the current situation of drug treatments in the UK