Methadone is step on wider path to recovery

Commenting on opposition party calls for the Scottish Government to review its methadone policy, Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said:

“I’m concerned that this is a case of politicians shouting louder than doctors. Methadone is one stepping stone in a wider path to recovery. It is not a panacea or a standalone rehabilitation tool. If we are to give those suffering from heroin addiction a real chance of survival we should be arming our doctors with more tools, not stripping them away.

“Only ten years ago the rapid spread of HIV shocked Scotland. Methadone means addicts don’t have to resort to playing Russian roulette with used needles. It means that heroin addicts can escape a life of crime, improve their lifestyles and have hope for the future.

“If anything the Scottish government must ensure that a range of rehabilitation methods, instead of one, is used to get people off of heroin and back into society.”