Editorial

Overdoses due to the abuse of methadone remain a major issue for concern. The fact that methadone is handed out in a more liberal manner, such as take-home doses, has many advantages for the clients involved. They have more opportunity to settle down, find a job or other meaningful activities. But of course if they are irresponsible and careless with this opportunity, it is possible that the prescribed methadone gets sold on the black market or taken by persons who are not opiate-tolerant. In Denmark, this was the reason for tightening up the system and, in Belgium, some experts propose the introduction stricter guidelines. It is important to find the right balance between optimal freedom for the patients and a guarantee that the prescribed methadone is not abused and is not causing fatal accidents. In this Newsletter you will find two articles which address this issue.

 

When one thinks of the Red Cross, ‘Aids and methadone’ are probably not the first things which come to mind. However, José Solé Puig describes the potential of this world-wide organisation and sees good opportunities for using the Red Cross to create better services for drug users.

 

Saskia Jünger compares Dutch and German attitudes among drug users and professionals regarding the use of pressure in drug treatment and addiction care. Interestingly, the Dutch professionals, who are traditionally seen as very tolerant, are more positive towards the use of pressure than their German colleagues. Finally, we pay attention to the start of the Dutch experiment on the prescription of heroin.

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