Why give methadone to addicts? Pointless?

Question

Okay an old friend was addicted to oxycottin other pain pills. She goes to the methadone clinic and now takes methadone but is addicted to that now. So is this not just a round about game? Why give an addict something else to be addicted to? When i was younger I knew people who would buy methadone from people, so to me this seems pointless. Its tradeing one for another and when they cant get those anymore they will just go back to what they were on before.

Answer 1

The whole point of giving addicts methadone is that it is controlled. They know exactly what the person is taking. Buying drugs off the street, you are not exactly sure what the drug is cut with and it can be dangerous. It also cuts out the risk of infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, which are caught from used needles.

Then the aim is to slowly decrease the dose to wean the addict of the drug. It only really works though, if the individual wants to get off the drugs. Of course they can go back to the dealer or whatever.