Materia Medica Malaysiana

Gov't Considering Use Of Methadone To Treat Drug Addiction - Najib

PUTRAJAYA, 17 April (Bernama) -- The government is now in the final stage of a study on the use of "Methadone" to treat drug addicts, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The government, through the National Anti-Drugs Action Committee, was now carrying out a pioneer project in treating drug addicts by giving them the synthetic drug.
The outcome of the study conducted by the committee, whose members included medical and pharmaceutical experts, revealed that Methadone was capable of preventing addicts from craving for the drug, he said.
"The National Anti-Drugs Action Committee is now carrying out a pioneer project using the Methadone drugs as a way of overcoming the addicts' withdrawal symptom," he told reporters after participating in the Bowling Fest 2005, organised by the Sports and Welfare Club of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office.
He said the outcome of laboratory tests on the effectiveness of Methadone in treating drug addiction had so far shown positive results.
Najib said the government had to look for new methods in the form of clinical treatment which were more suitable in treating drug addicts as the present treatment under the "Pusat Serenti" or One-Stop Rehabilitation Centre had not been very effective.
"This is because the briefings given by the National Anti-Drugs Agency so far showed that the success rate of rehabilitation at the Pusat Serenti is only 15 per cent," he said.
According to the report by the United States National Drug Control Policy, Methadone is a type of drug that can overcome cravings for drugs especially heroin, which had been tested repeatedly and proven effective for treating hardcore addicts in that country.