'Heroin substitute' trial for Glasgow

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by Change | 12 Nov 2009

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A trial of a drug that has been proven to be less addictive than methadone is to be offered to heroin addicts in Glasgow.

Heroin substitute Suboxone is to be prescribed to Glasgow's heroin addicts as part of an effort to wean them off the drug, a report suggests.

The city's Evening Times newspaper notes that after trials involving the drug proved successful, extra funding has been given to prescribe Suboxone to addicts.

The drug is designed to reduce the desire to inject heroin, which in turn could help to reduce the risk of overdose and the spread of diseases often passed on through sharing needles.

Suboxone is being offered as a substitute for methadone, which is currently commonly prescribed to heroin addicts.

"The problems with methadone are widely known, so to have this new drug available as an alternative can only be a good thing," said sheriff Pamela Bowman, who sits on Scotland's dedicated drugs court.

She added that trials of the drug have been positive.

Currently, more than 9,500 people within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area are being treated with methadone for their heroin addiction. However, methadone can also prove addictive and users can find it hard to come off this drug.

Suboxone is provided in tablet form and contains an active chemical that can cause addicts to go into withdrawal if it is injected rather than swallowed.

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