Methadone

[nailit]

Story from my local paper,
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/cash-strapped-council-set-cut-1450514

The local council are planning on saving £751,000 by cutting methadone prescriptions for heroin addicts and if it happens here it will happen elsewhere.
Interested in hearing your thoughts on denying treatment to addicts?
I personally think its both cruel and short sighted. Surely if addicts are denied appropriate treatment, then they will only end up costing us more in the long run with increased crime?

[EDDIE51]

youngmafbog I knew a man who was a registered alcoholic and on benefits. He got extra money to pay for alcohol because a genuine alcoholic is physically dependant on getting their 'fix' of alcohol. So we do pay for their habit.
As to taking Methadone in a chemist,I have seen queues of addicts waiting outside the door for the only chemist in the area registered to supply Methadone to open. They were handed the methadone and went off to swallow it as soon as possible. A few of them took it in the chemist shop but most grabbed it and ran. What is supposed to happen often does not happen in reality.

[anneasquith]

Eddie, what is a " registered alcoholic. "? I have heard this comment before re alcoholics getting extra money to buy alcohol, . How is this top up of benefits paid?. I have worked with vulnerable adults, some alcoholic, never did any of them receive cash to purchase alcohol. I believe its an Urban myth, unless you can advise me differently ?

[nailit]

My God. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that I would agree with anneasquith, but agree I do. Alcoholics DO NOT receive extra benefits to buy drink. Urban myth!

[EDDIE51]

I know the person personally and he showed me his benefit form with the payment on it,I did not believe him until he showed me it. But it was several years ago now. He got really violent if he did not get his alcohol. He was registered with his doctor and with the DWP as an alcoholic. It is the same process as being registered as a heroin addict to get prescribed methadone.
If I remember correctly he got an extra £30 a week paid in cash from the post office .

[nailit]

//I know the person personally and he showed me his benefit form with the payment on it,I did not believe him until he showed me it//

And the payment said to be paid in beer tokens??

[anneasquith]

I'm sorry to persist Eddie, you actually saw a benefit form stating £30 for alcohol per week . I'd be very interested if any other aber has experience of the " top up benefit ?

[nailit]

EDDIE, I really cant believe that I'm hearing this from you mate.
Its long been known that alcoholics getting an ''allowance''
is an urban myth.
Ive had a drink problem since my teenage years (if not childhood to be more precise). Never received an allowance for it.

[nailit]

EDDIE, I don't doubt that you believe this, but it isn't true.

[Zacs-Master]

There was a bloke went into my local who was on a pint of Guinness a day, on prescription. It was the 80s.

[nailit]

Of course there was Zacs.

[anneasquith]

Zac , it's not that many years ago sherry would be prescribed pre meals in hospitals to assist appetite, or a sweet stout for a good trail man needing a tonic :-)

[Zacs-Master]

Sounds like you don’t believe me Nailit.

[anneasquith]

** frail.

[Mamyalynne]

I was advised by my Doctor to drink a glass of stout per day during my first pregnancy, by my second 3 years later that advice had gone (Mid/late seventies).

Not prescribed just advised.

If the benefits mentioned above were real there would be written records of it somewhere.

[Zacs-Master]

You might want to read up:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/53902/Gordon-Brown-remembers-free-booze-on-the-NHS
https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/guinness-good-you

[Davemano]

Methadone takers are given in the medicine in a plastic by the chemist who watches whilst they take it. The chemist knows that any deviation from this procedure will have them struck off.
For Eddie to say the addicts grab excess to sell is farcical, but that is his view.

[nailit]

//Sounds like you don’t believe me Nailit//
Well, a pint of guiness a day (2-3 units of alcohol) is hardly going to keep the shakes away from a wino. So no, I dont believe you

[Davemano]

^^ should say Plastic beaker.

[Mamyalynne]

I meant the benefits mentioned by Eddie - didn't know you meant in Hospital Zacs when you said on Prescription.

[tonyav]

As the result of a donation, Mamya.

“At eight o’clock every night the trolley came round and they were serving Guinness and beer and wine as a result of a donation that had been made to that particular ward in the National Health Service. “