Methadone programme: panacea or patch?

However, it is easy to jump on the bandwagon when someone like him questions the efficiency of the methadone programme. I also believe that this treatment is not well managed in Scotland (and beyond), but I do see a place for it in society.

Alan Oliver (Letters, 30 March) said people on methadone suffer a "useless existence". Would he say that to the faces of drug users who have benefited from the treatment? Methadone, if prescribed properly, can help induce positive changes, and with people now dying because of anthrax being present in some heroin batches how can it be dismissed as a treatment option?

Paul D'Mello

Baldridgeburn

Dunfermline

Professor McKeganey, a sociologist, continues his campaign against methadone (Opinion, 29 March).

Is this the same Professor McKeganey who was a member of the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs, Methadone Project Group in 2007 which concluded: "The project group unanimously agreed that methadone replacement prescribing remains the main treatment for opiate dependency that should be available within the framework of services across all areas in Scotland.

"This reflects the overwhelming evidence base which supports its effectiveness in the face of little current credible evidence to support other approaches."

If this is indeed the same man he should publicly disassociate himself from the report he co-authored. Meanwhile, those of us who actually have to make decisions about patients will continue to use the evidence that shows substitute prescribing is the most effective tool we have.

DR RICHARD WATSON

Craigallian Avenue

Glasgow

As someone at one time involved as a lay person on a local drugs and alcohol team and on the board of a third sector support agency, I am delighted to back the view that Scotland's policy on drugs needs to be changed (editorial, 29 March).

In the past I often had to accept the "harm reduction" philosophy being promoted, although that was against my own personal experience, not as a user but as part of an affected family. My experience was with alcohol and for every one person suffering from an addiction there can be many tormented family members and friends.

The same is true for those suffering from other addictions.

On the same day I read about Chinese chemical factories planning to outsmart the British authorities by providing more "legal highs" if the Government does decide to ban mephedrone.

A third story that day was about Stephen Purcell, former City of Glasgow council leader, admitting to using cocaine, which may have left him open to blackmail.

Putting these stories together, the only safe message is abstinence, as what may not harm you may harm your friends if you recommend it to them. More importantly, if you are hooked it is not just you but those around you who can be severely affected.

JOHN BRUCE ELLIOT

Briery Place

Duns

I agree with Prof MacKeganey (Opinion, 29 March) in questioning the Scottish Government's reliance on methadone as a substitute for heroin abusers. Across the country we have succeeded in creating a second tier of methadone addicts and yet this appears to be acceptable to politicians who are happy to place the blame at the feet of doctors.

You cannot blame any addict for not wanting to come off methadone, as the detoxification is as bad as it can get, and far worse than straight heroin, even under medical supervision. The methadone problem is only going to get worse, and it is time to toughen our stance and realise that accepting it is simply prolonging the problem. The only cure to any drug addiction is abstinence, combined with a dedicated support network.

There are also significant cost savings from changing our emphasis on the use of methadone. Even without moral grounds for change, now is the time to look at the economics of our drug policies.

JAMES WHITSON

Biggar

Lanarkshire

Having heard police officers talking to school children in an almost conspiratorial way ("if you take this drug don't forget to drink lots of water") and fail to make a moral case against drug use ("I'm not here to tell you what to do, just to tell you about the possible consequences for you"), I welcome the call for abstinence-based drugs education.

Education must convey the moral irresponsibility of drug use. The risks of health problems, addiction, progression to harder drugs, relationship breakdown, career disruption and the toll taken on family, charities and the state constitute a powerful cumulative case that drug abuse is wrong.

Seeking pleasure through an activity entirely devoid of meaning, is inherently dubious. All other leisure activities entail our engagement with other people, environment, or our own thoughts, and can lead us to appreciate and value life. Entering a drug-induced state does the opposite, offering an experience divorced from reality that leads to desires that can only be fulfilled through further escape from reality.

RICHARD LUCAS

Cowan Road

Edinburgh