By : Our Staff Reporter
Opioid Substitution Therapy : One Of The Treatments For
Addicts From drug addict to health worker
IMPHAL,
Dec 28 : Literally, the life of L Kenneth is a journey of transformation from
being a drug addict to an active health worker.
Usually
drug addicts are seen as rascals and often treated with scorn in the society.
But they do not necessarily represent a lost case. They can certainly transform
themselves into responsible citizens of the society.
L
Kenneth was once ostracized by his family for his drug habit as someone who was
good for nothing. But today he has successfully given up his drug addiction and
is no longer a slave of any opioids.
After
undergoing Opioid Substitution Therapy, Kenneth is now working as an active
health worker. Apart from his efforts to check transmission of such diseases
like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, he is also taking a big role in ensuring that
drug addicts receive health care services.
In
addition to the protracted political armed conflict and various other issues
plaguing the State, Manipur’s location on the transit route of drugs like
heroin, morphine, spasmoproxybon capsules lured many youngsters to take to
these drugs, and many of them often end up being drug addicts.
Generally,
drug addicts have little concern about the responsibility towards themselves,
families and the society at large. Sometimes, they become agents of several
criminal activities. Given this reality, parents and families need to take
extra care for de-addiction of these youngsters.
Of
the many medication and treatment facilities available in the State, Opioid
Substitution Therapy (OST) is one.
Registered
drug addicts are given medically safe Bupremorphine at OST centers under the
method of direct observation treatment.
Initially,
Kenneth was given 10 mg of Bupremorphine everyday. The dose was gradually
reduced to 0.2 mg per day. After this stage, Bupremorphine was given on
alternate days.
And
ultimately he was able to carry on with life without any opioids nor OST
treatment.
“Now
I’m free from the bondage of opioids. Not only I am shouldering my
responsibility towards my family but I’m also working as an outreach worker”,
Kenneth said.
Kenneth
started taking heroin in 1998 when he was in college. As he eventually became a
drug addict, he was put in detoxification camps four times, and another four
times in drug rehabilitation centres.
All
these measures could not wean away Kenneth from his drug habit. It was in 2006
when he registered himself in the OST centre opened at the Care Foundation.
While
undergoing treatment at Care Foundation, Kenneth started working as a
counsellor. However, he got re-lapsed and reverted to the old habit of
injecting drugs.
He
again registered for OST treatment at the Manipur Network Positive People in
2010. By January 2012, Kenneth could go on with his life without OST treatment,
and he was finally freed from the much hated remark of being a drug addict.
In
the meantime, from being a peer educator Kenneth graduated to the level of
outreach worker.
“Like
many other drug addicts, I was always thinking how could I give up my drug
habit but fearing the withdrawal symptoms, we continued taking drugs”.
“People
must have firm determination and will power, to give up drugs if they got
addicted once”, Kenneth said.
Elaborating
on OST treatment, Kenneth said that OST can reduce all kinds of health risks
generally associated with drug addition.
There
is no risk of overdose in using Bupremorphine. At the same, it gave the same
kick one received by using opioids.
As
no syringe is shared for injecting drugs, OST provides no room for transmission
of virus which causes HIV or Hepatitis C.
World
Health Organisation in 2009 identified OST as the best form of treatment of
opioid dependents in developed as well as developing countries.
OST
also reduces risk behaviours prone to HIV infection, Kenneth said.
29-Dec-2012 / 02:10 AM / Our Staff
Reporter / 0 Comments
