...methadone prescription?

At first, methadone was a means in helping heroine addicts to gradually kick the addiction. Nowadays, however, methadone is almost exclusively supplied on the basis of maintenance to long-term addicts, with the dosage being kept stable. Methadone is a strong narcotic and a highly addictive substance, very similar to heroine.

Despite the fact that methadone originally was a substance used to ameliorate severe pain, it is now most commonly used as a substitute for heroine. Methadone prevents heroine addicts from experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to the use of heroine. Methadone is addictive. To kick it is harder than kicking heroine. In contrast to heroine, one daily dose of methadone is usually sufficient to suppress withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, it reduces the addicts' need to be dependent on drug dealers.

For years, De Hoop has not prescribed methadone. De Hoop currently offers addicts to kick the habit by means of methadone at the Crosspoint Motivation Centre, however. It is then agreed upon that the client will kick the habit within a certain amount of time (at a maximum of two weeks, in principle). Every day, he will receive a dose of methadone. This dose will be gradually reduced, however, in order to slowly make the addict physically clean. Therefore, methadone will only be supplied on the basis of a reduction schedule. De Hoop continues to be fundamentally against the prescription of methadone on the basis of maintenance.