The System Sucks

You bring up some excellent points. Your anger and frustration is justified.

You’re right, someone on methadone is less of a problem to society…they’re often also less of a problem to themselves.

I don’t know what you mean when you say helping ‘these people’ costs too much. What kind of help are you talking about?

For some people, methadone and counseling IS help. For some, it stops the ripping and running lifestyle and reduces the risk of overdose and disease.

As you know, methadone stops opiate withdrawal symptoms.  It can normalize lives. Some people gradually reduce their doses and stop completely. I’ve worked with professionals who were hooked on heroin, went on methadone were able to gradually taper off and resume their careers. For them, methadone was a blessing.

Methadone can also help those accidently and inadvertently addicted to pain meds. I’ve seen blue-haired old ladies standing in methadone lines waiting for their dose.

It’s not the same with crack. Crack is a whole different ball game.

There is currently no therapy drug available to use as a safe "substitute" to treat crack addiction. An equivalent like methadone for heroin addiction does not exist for crack addicts.

I don’t know why heroin is illegal (once upon a time it was legal) and methadone is not.  Maybe because unlike heroin, which you need to snort, smoke or shoot, methadone is ingested orally and blocks withdrawal longer. Prescribed and controlled doses of methadone area also safer. You know what you're getting.

The system sucks. Addiction sucks. Treatments that fail, suck. Having an addicted bother sucks.

Now I have a question for you: Who are you madder at, the system or your brother?