New Heroin Substitute

Sir, - There is little reason for the optimism expressed by the Eastern Health Board over the coming introduction of LAAM into…

Sir, - There is little reason for the optimism expressed by the Eastern Health Board over the coming introduction of LAAM into Ireland ("EHB offers new heroin substitute", November 8th).

Research in the US confirms that methadone addicts have only a 10-20 per cent chance of becoming drug-free from methadone; a figure of 10 per cent was privately admitted by Irish officials to John Maher ("Methadone worsens problem", July 7th). Methadone's prolonged and debilitating withdrawals are justifiably notorious amongst addicts, and LAAM is significantly longer-acting than methadone. What "success" rate can we expect, then, for LAAM detoxification?

Are we to rejoice that Ireland seems set to repeat the American experience of a generation of addicts "greying" on methadone or on even more insidious prescribed drugs? - Yours, etc.,

Edgeworthstown, Co Longford.