Opiate Dependence
Wednesday, 30 January 2008.
Originally from express article 30 January 2008
By David from Auckland Community Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS)
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| Opiate Dependence. |
Samual Taylor Coleridge wrote, it is said, The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam under the influence of Laudanam which was described as a tincture of opium. It must have been a small tincture as it is a very good poem and opium is not generally conducive to creative endeavour.
Opiates are analgesics, which means that they are very good painkillers but they also have a depressant element to them and lead more to drowsiness than partying. Around the world the main source of non prescribed opiates is illegal Heroin which can be smoked, snorted or injected. There is not much heroin in New Zealand and the main source of opiates here is Morphine Sulphate which is GP prescribed and leaks onto the illicit drug using scene.
The main form of treatment for opiate dependence is through the Auckland Opioid Treatment Service. In Auckland we have 1100 people on the CADS Auckland Opioid Treatment programme. Methadone is a synthetic drug which is prescribed as a substitute for illicit opiates. People come to us when they have had enough of trying to keep an opiate habit going. The advantages of coming on to the programme are that methadone is free, it is legal and it is a reliable and safe medication if used correctly. As a consequence it helps reduce crime, increase personal health and stability and reduces the risk of blood borne viruses being spread.
Some people come on to the programme and remain with us for years. They get on with their lives as parents, friends, employers and employees just as non opiate dependent people do. The methadone is simply a medication taken daily just like many other medications. Other people come on to the programme to get on top of their opiate use and then choose to withdraw completely. Others struggle with many issues which mean that maintaining stability is difficult and we will work actively to support those people. Some people do not want a bar of methadone and will become totally abstinent through Drug Rehabs like Higher Ground, Odyssey House and The Bridge. The important thing is that the choice of treatment options leads to positive change and people becoming healthier and happier. The best treatment is the one which works.
CADS is going to be at the Auckland Big Gay Out again this year – so please drop in to say hi, pick up information, give us feedback or just for a chat!
If you have, or think you have, a difficulty with opiates then you can always ring CADS www.cads.org.nz on 845 1818 to discuss this or you can call in to any CADS unit without appointment any weekday morning between 10am and 1pm and see someone face to face. This also applies if you are a friend, relative or concerned other of someone who you think may need help. If you live outside Auckland contact Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797.
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