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Birth control call for methadone

JadedJaded Posts: 2,682 Boards Guru
This is just one comment from one Scottish MP, but I was still shocked that someone could have such a draconian attitude towards addiction.
A Labour MSP has called for contraception to be added to methadone to prevent addicts having children.

Article here.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    its tricky, because obviously easy to see the logic behind it, but i also think its misguided and unethical unless the contraceptive added is a choice, and not in ALL methadone.
    Theres the fact that the addicts using methadone are generally the ones already trying to give up, therefore whos to say pregnancy wouldnt be a great incentive for them to kick it for good. If it wasnt people who were trying to give up, then theyd probably be using heroin mainly and methadone as a last resort, therefore wouldnt get the recommended amount to be effective anyway, might give them a false sense of security.
    It just doesnt feel right, and i dont think it would work.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its certainly a step up from the charity in the US which will pay for women to be sterilised if they are crack or heroin users. (actually is that still running?)

    There is certainly an issue about children in households where the parents are addicts, but there are much better ways of dealing with that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the ammount of heroin used over the last forty years and the ammount of addicted babies born makes this a nonsense.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    its utter dehumanisation of the person in the comment that disgusts me, contradicting one of the fundamental purposes of treatment in the first place.

    That'n does anyone else remember hearing about the Nazis investigating ways of sterilising the 'Undermenschen' by stealth means such as food additives.

    Disturbing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I personally think it's controlling.

    I see the point they're making - someone whos coming off drugs isn't going to be the most responsible parent. But still, they're making a choice that isn't theirs to make by adding it to a drug which is used for a completely seperate matter.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    our modern view of drugs and addiction is ridiculous.
    half the so called treatment isn't needed ...except for the screwed up ones who would be screwed up anyway.
    addiction isn't all about weak disturbed people in need.
    most of the time it's about dangerous living ...excitement ...excess pleasure seeking.
    one modern approach to addiction ...which does have truth to it bit is often used to blanket a whole group of people is ...'you can't help it ...it's your addiction' ...
    well guess what ...i could help it.
    i was in it becuase i had a love affair with drugs and their magical effects. i wanted to experiment with everything that sounded interesting.
    i have always been an excitement junky.
    i had a love affair with the whole sub culture thing of crime and money.
    no ...i have never been depressed or in emotional need.
    crime and easy money ...danger and excitement were my downfll.
    no ...i didn't need to share with the group ...i didn't need to let it all out.
    addiction has been with us since the dawn of time ...now it's seen as some BIG problem ...a much bigger problem than it realy is.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds like a reasonable enough idea to me
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    \
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    or lager... or wack 'em into steroids to stop freaks from havin kids too?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeah put it in whisky and beer in case alcoholics have children too. Quite right Katralla!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    there are a shit load of bad parents out there.
    why only limit it to junkies?

    ... and also, isn't methadone about coming off drugs - so its targeted at the wrong people anyway, these are the poeple who are already in the process of fighting their addiction off heroin.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So they would have to have separate methadone for men, and for women who dont need contraception or cant have the birth control for other reasons?

    Its pathetic. How patronising to the people that have taken a step in the right direction and are trying to get their life on track.
    Its like treating them like idiots.

    I may be biased in that the 10-15 people i hand over methadone to in a week are all trusted enough to be unsupervised, some only picking up weekly, but they aint 2nd class citizens. Some of them hold down jobs, some have a laugh and a chat with us, one looks after a child, one lady is in her 60's and strolls round the shops with her dog,- these people are nicer customers than a LOT of people that come in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote:
    I may be biased in that the 10-15 people i hand over methadone to in a week .
    whats your job?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Pharmacy dispenser.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    obviously lol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote:
    Pharmacy dispenser.
    nice to hear your attitude is such a pleasant one.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There is another line to this. Are children born to Methadone using mothers born addicts? I don't know the answer to this, but if this is the case then I can see the point.

    There are other prescribed medicines where the person taking them has to prove they are using contraception reliably to be able to take them because of the potential risk to a baby born to the mother taking them. If this is the case for Methadone why should it be any different?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Like i said, maybe im biased by the fact that our patients behave enough to be trusted to use it unsupervised. The naughty ones get the boot and have to go to a different pharmacy that will do supervision.

    Medications dangerous to unborn babies need their mothers to prove theyre using contraception??? Which ones?
    Even some OTC medicines are dangerous to an unborn baby.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote:
    Medications dangerous to unborn babies need their mothers to prove theyre using contraception??? Which ones?
    Most antiepileptics. Probably roaccutane too. Lots of drugs are teratogenic, as you know.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    birth control in yer benson and hedges next!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    \
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why restrict it to that?

    I think anyone who is in receipt of state benefits should be forcibly sterilised to prevent them reproducing.
    i'd much prefer it if people who held views like yours were stopped from breathing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    \
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    aye
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I quite agree, you did realise I was kidding right?! That's not actually my view...
    ok ...i'll call the boys off.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    \
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sikorah wrote:

    Medications dangerous to unborn babies need their mothers to prove theyre using contraception??? Which ones?
    Even some OTC medicines are dangerous to an unborn baby.

    Roaccutane and other retinoids were the ones I had in mind, I am fairly sure there are others. I guess that that is the prescribers respnsibilty rather than yours.
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