A Chara, - The established treatment plan for heroin addiction was once clear. Its goal was abstinence. With detoxification and counselling, some addicted people emerged drug-free. Other addicted persons could or would not abstain from drugs, with catastrophic consequences for themselves, their families and the public.
In May 1991, benign pragmatism prevailed. Government strategy endorsed a shift in treatment philosophy. Prescribed medication and suitable public health aids in place of illicit street drugs were now to be available to those who could not or would not abstain. Now was a chance for stability to enter the waste-scape that had been addicts' lives.
The moral treatment situation that now prevails has been described as "a hierarchy of goals with abstinence at the summit". The ideal solution is to inspire young people's lives. Meanwhile, we should fund and keep faith with both treatment approaches. -Is mise,
Patrick O'Dea, Press Officer, Probation and Welfare Branch, IMPACT. Finglas, Dublin 11.