Benefits of early intervention drug rehabilitation
Opiate addiction is well known as a chronic disorder.
Prolonging the duration of injecting drug use, the total cumulative number of injections increases the harm of physical and mental illness for addicts.
The known adverse effects in opiate dependant populations include stem cells, immunopathological defects and cellular apoptosis.
Prolonged addiction increases the risk of death.
Prolonged addiction increases the risk of infections like HIV and Hepatitis C which are not reversible.
Accordingly drug maintenance programs increases the risks to the addicted persons.
As well, maintaining illicit drug use increases the costs to the wider community locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
Early intervention rehabilitation for illicit drug addicts should be based on the goal of sobriety and a long term drug free lifestyle.
A long term drug free lifestyle eliminates the risk of death and physical and mental illness from drug use.
The key national drug policy objective should be to maximize the addicts into a long term drug free lifestyle in order to eliminate the harms to the addict, their family and the community.
Early intervention drug rehabilitation may also reverse the residual physical and mental health damage to former addicts.
Early intervention drug rehabilitation will reduce the number of new cases of infections like HIV and Hepatitis C.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
42/2010
