Page 23 - WHACK35

I WA S S I M P LY C U T O F F 55 M G not for over six-weeks. About a
O F M E T H ADO N E . week later, after waiting to see
the doctor, I was placed back onto
methadone starting at 5ml.
As I lay there on the uncom- IN TH E INTE R IM , I WA S FAC E D
fortable plastic cushions on top of WI TH TH E D ILE MM A O F
the concrete slab they provide as H AV I N G TO P U T M Y S E L F AT R I S K 1
a bed, twisting and turning as my (O F H I V, H E P C , H E P B , OV E R D O S E
legs cramped and the nausea A N D E V E R Y OT H E R R I S K
approached, I knew sleep would A SS O C I ATE D WI T H U S IN G IN
P R I S O N)
elude me, as would the ability to BY U S I N G T H E D R U G S
find any comfort. I couldn’t help AVA IL A B LE IN P R IS O N ,
wonder if my medication had I N O R D E R TO AVO I D T H E PA I N S
been for a serious heart condition O F W I T H D R AWA L , E N A B L E M E
whether they would have been so TO K E E P A M E A L D O W N , O R G E T
flippant in their attitude. A N I G H T ’ S S L E E P.

I T ’ S A S T H O U G H B EC AU S E I T ’ S Again the hypocrisy of the
O S T ME D I C AT I O N , YOU ’ RE Department of Justice’s policy was
R E L EG AT E D TO EQ UA L B I L L I N G glaringly obvious; when talking
W I T H S OM EON E W I T H DR AW I NG harm reduction and duty of care, 1 . RE V IE WIN G TH E
F R O M HE R OI N A ND YO U R surely the patient should be
P R E D I C A M E N T I S S E L F - I N F L I C T- considered first and foremost and E FFEC TI VE NE SS O F
E D, S O I T ’ S R E A L LY N OT T H AT
I M P O RTA NT. not the arses of the bureaucrats. D RUG TRE ATM E NT
However, upon close analysis, PRO G R A M S IN
When I arrived at the MAP the the policy seems to be designed
following day I saw the doctor to protect the later and not the V I C TO RIA WITH
and explained my situation. former.
While appearing sympathetic RECO MME NDATI O N S
and agreeing to put me back onto This whole series of events, which O N H OW TRE ATM E NT
the methadone program, he said is not an isolated incident - a
it wasn’t that simple or straight number of other prisoners I spoke A N D HA RM MINIMI -
forward. I now had to jump to shared similar stories – was SATI O N S TR ATEG I E S
through the Department of totally avoidable and would
Justice health services policy hoops, be relatively easy to avoid in the COU LD B E US E D A S
which meant not having a court future, simply by ensuring that A N A LTE RNATIV E TO
date for six-weeks - apparently so screening occurs whenever some-
that my “obs”(observation of blood one is detained in police cells or CRIMINA L PE NA LTIE S;
pressure, pupil dilation, etc.) could prison.
be done before and after dosing Those on a certain category of
and so I didn’t attend court under medication would be automatically
the influence or get released from picked up so that ‘buck-passing’
court and use heroin with a level would not result in a situation
of methadone in my system which where nothing’s done and no one is
could result in overdose. to blame.
A week later I returned to court for
a bail application that was denied,
in part because I was withdraw- Opioid
ing and so presented a risk of
reoffending to satisfy the cravings
associated with withdrawal. So I
ensured my next court date was Replacement

*You can read more about
the Rosy Batty story here: Therapy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Rosie_Batty

TO R 1 : O P I O I D R E P L A C E M E N T T H E R A P Y 23

WHACK35_LYOT.indd 23 11-Oct-16 4:25:20 PM