McKee defends £3.6m cost of methadone for Lothian addicts

Published on Friday 14 November 2008 08:51

A FORMER GP turned politician today defended methadone treatment for drug addicts despite figures revealing a massive £3.6 million bill in Lothian.

SNP Lothians MSP Dr Ian McKee dismissed Tory calls to switch to a zero tolerance approach as "simplistic" and warned it would not work.

Figures released by the Scottish Government showed the cost of methadone treatment – including the drug itself and fees for dispensing and supervision – reached 25.7m across Scotland last year.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken claimed the figures showed Scotland was "over-dependent" on methadone as a treatment.

He said: "We must invest much more in rehabilitation but we must show no mercy, we must show a zero-tolerance approach and we must come down heavily on those who deal."

But Dr McKee, a GP in Wester Hailes and Sighthill for 34 years, said: "That's all very nice in theory. It just doesn't work. To call for zero tolerance and rehabilitation as if we haven't tried it is no answer. It is because we have tried it and it hasn't worked that we have turned to this.

"I have practised for many years with people with drug problems, if you push them down too quickly they go along with it and all of a sudden they go back to the black market and you're back at square one."

Dr McKee said when people turned to the black market, they faced being sold impure drugs and would commit crimes to get the money to pay for it.

"Bill Aitken could find himself bashed over the head as he leaves the parliament one night and he could have his wallet stolen.

"There would be more women going into prostitution. Is that what he wants?

"To imply people have been kept on methadone just to satisfy some professional control freakery is ludicrous."

Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said the Scottish Government's national drugs strategy, unanimously endorsed by parliament in June, made clear recovery had to be the focus of all drug treatment and rehabilitation.

He said: "Evidence shows that methadone can help stabilise those at risk of falling back into chaotic lifestyles and that it is both valuable and necessary.

"However, this must be integrated more effectively with wider support services – housing, employment, psychological support – to fully address an individual's needs and help them recover and rebuild their lives.

"The drugs strategy recognises the need to help people move on from methadone through other treatments.

"Different people with different circumstances inevitably means different routes to recovery.

"The challenge is to make sure that the right support is available at the time it is needed, rather than promoting one particular type of treatment."