Pubdate: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 Source: Charleston Gazette (WV) Copyright: 2004 Charleston Gazette Contact: http://www.wvgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77 Author: Robert Sharpe Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) METHADONE DOES REDUCE DRUG USE Editor: The problem with granting police access to patient records in methadone clinics is that many of the patients trying to clean up their lives have a history of illicit drug use. Police access would discourage rehabilitation. Would alcoholics seek help if doing so were tantamount to confessing to criminal activity? Methadone has been shown to reduce drug use and related crime, death and disease among chronic heroin addicts. It's also a viable treatment for OxyContin addiction. Contrary to popular opinion, methadone staves off debilitating withdrawal symptoms, but does not produce a high that prevents patients from living productive lives. The tough-on-drugs alternative is a very real threat to public safety. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. Unfortunately, tough-on-drugs politicians have built careers on confusing drug prohibition's collateral damage with drugs themselves. When politics trumps science, people die. Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57 percent of AIDS cases among women and 36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the United States are linked to injection-drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This easily preventable public-health crisis is a direct result of zero-tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes. Drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse. Robert Sharpe Policy analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh