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‘I used to go to
NA often while
scripted but
couldn’t maintain
it due to being
honest about how
methadone had
saved my life and
my complete refusal to accept
the supernatural elements of the
programme...’
Self-aggrandiSing
nonSenSe
I am a little shocked and disappointed
about Mr Brand’s comments regarding
people prescribed methadone/
buprenorphine (DDN, October, page
11). I am ‘on a script’, and certainly do
not think I am ‘fucked’ as Mr Brand so
eloquently puts it.
My life is going excellently since I
have been optimally prescribed
methadone. I have a job/family/give
back to my community and all in all am
bobbing along rather well.
The problem, as I see it, is that there
are MANY people doing very well on
OST but as they are just busy getting
on with the business of living, we are
not very visible.
As a result, the only real visible OST
patients are the slightly chaotic ones.
Honestly, given what he said, I’m
disappointed that DDN gave Mr Brand
such a large platform to spew his self-
aggrandising, anti OST nonsense.
Sapphire Matthews, via DDN website,
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
Scripted SenSe
So, Russell thinks I’m fucked due to
being on a maintenance script. I must
admit that in the past I did use on top
until I got on an optimal dose of
methadone. I've been working for over
five years and many years ago I got a
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
first-class degree while maintaining
myself on OTC meds.
His views are indicative of the 12-
step hardliners. Has he not read
William White on medically assisted
recovery? Or been in NA meetings
where someone on anti-depressants
has been advised to come off them as
they’re psychoactive?
I used to go to NA often while
scripted but couldn’t maintain it due to
being honest about how methadone
had saved my life and my complete
refusal to accept the supernatural
elements of the programme as I’m a
dyed-in-the wool atheist and member
of Humanists UK. I’ve heard other 12
steppers state that they wished
everyone could have the programme
which, to me, sounded like drinking Jim
Jones’ Kool Aid.
Meanwhile I'll happily stay ‘fucked’
according to Brand and get on with my
day job helping disadvantaged people
in Camden.
Peter Simonson, by email
CLARIFICATION
UKAN are here!
In our last issue (DDN, October, page 22,
‘Help at hand’) UKAN introduced their
new online community for people
working in the field of addiction. We
should have included the website address
in the article – you can find the UKAN
community at www.ukan.network
Taking part in a recent
political debate, Andrew
Horne noticed a keen
appetite for policy change
Gaining
ground
AT A POLITICAL DEBATE IN INVERCLYDE, led by MP Ronnie Cowan, I shared my
professional and personal views on drugs being a health and social care issue
rather than a criminal one. It was heartening to hear the other panel members,
all from very different backgrounds, share common ground – although for very
different reasons.
At Addaction, our 50 years of working with individuals, families and
communities, tells us that treatment is the thing that works. Our position is
simple: people with drug misuse problems should be diverted out of the
criminal justice system and into treatment – a view shared by the Scottish
government, who only last week, at the SNP party conference, agreed a motion
to decriminalise drugs.
During our debate, several of us discussed this topic with interested
members of public. We also heard from Rod Thomson, the Royal College of
Nursing’s deputy president. He spoke candidly about how his views of
substance misuse changed dramatically as a student nurse, when his
community placement showed him the people affected.
On the flipside was panel member Anthony Gielty from The Haven, whose
own drug and crime activity saw him spend 15 months of his teenage life in
solitary confinement, labelled one of Scotland’s most violent prisoners. After
years in prison, he now provides pastoral care to men at The Haven and he’s
passionate about recovery an