Facing Drug Abuse

Re: "Methadone: A deadly party drug" (Leader-Post, Jan 17).

The Leader-Post

Methadone can be a good in-between solution for hard-core heroin addicts. While the one-per-cent abuse statistic seems low, it could be because it's not the police who get to see this abuse -- it's the staff at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

Working in-depth with 40 addicts at a time, we have seen our share of methadone users and abusers. We support the program, but not the "harm-reduction" theory. We celebrated with one of our alumni in August as he proved you can kick drugs and the methadone habit. It was a slow process, but he worked with a doctor to wean himself off it for good. He now serves as a full-time employee at the mission, working with other addicts to reclaim lives that were lost.

He says, "I think 'weaning off' was the best thing I could have done. I tried once, but it was too soon. The doctor knew my goals and worked with me and the mission to make me 100-per-cent addiction free."

Michelle Porter

Porter is Executive Director, Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

Regina