Ex-addict backs plea for funding

By Martin Johnston

health reporter

"Mary" has reservations about the methadone treatment programme but says it helped her off illegal drugs and it should get more money to help others like her.

The Auckland woman's comments follow a Government report saying state spending on drug and alcohol treatment needs to be increased by more than half.

Mary is not her real name. She did not want that published, although she allowed the use of her photograph.

A former businesswoman who ran massage parlours, a gym and a motel, Mary said yesterday that she knew of up to 20 women who worked for her in Christchurch who wanted to get on to the methadone scheme but were unable to.

They were now working on the street to pay for their drug habits and they were in a bad way, said Mary, whose own habit cost her about $2500 a week.

"It does need a shakedown because I have seen some quite tragic cases in Christchurch and they just can't get off that treadmill."

She first went on the programme in 1989, but went off it for several years after problems transferring from Christchurch to Auckland. She criticises the scheme's inflexibility.

The programme's Auckland regional manager, Max Lloyd, said it had to be inflexible in some respects, as methadone was a class B narcotic.

Government health officials estimate that plugging holes in drug and alcohol services would add more than $29.4 million to the state's $52 million annual bill for the services.

The extra money needed includes a $10 million expansion of treatment for those taking "opioids" such as heroin, morphine and homebake.

The report estimates that up to 26,600 people are addicted to opioids, with predicted annual growth put at 15 per cent.

Every dollar invested in drug treatment returns average benefits of $7 in reduced crime and improved health - more for methadone - the report says.

On present funding, there will be an estimated 2500 drug users needing methadone treatment but unable to get it by 2003. It costs $4000 a person annually, compared with the average $52,000 cost a person of an opioid habit, which is largely financed from crime.

The Minister of Health, Wyatt Creech, says he will push for extra money for drug and alcohol treatment in next year's Budget if National remains in office.

A Police Association spokesman, Greg O'Connor, said police would not necessarily support spending more on methadone and other drug programmes. Methadone could work only within a wide-ranging programme, including strict enforcement of harsh drug laws.