Paper bag holds key to escape from drug abyss

Photo: David Nielsen / The Queensland Times David Nielsen

REGULAR trips to the Toowoomba Hospital to pick up his methadone prescription have been a fact of life for Michael for the past decade.

For years, the medicine in that little paper bag was all that stood between him and the abyss.

He continued to backslide into heroin abuse for the first two years of his treatment, but the battle becomes easier with every day.

Any reformed addict will tell you he is just that reformed, but still an addict.

Michael can now proudly say he has been clean for eight years.

He is not religious, but says it is a miracle that he finally changed his ways.

The miracle had a lot to do with what was inside that little paper bag.

Michael has seen Toowoomba seedy side, lived it and clawed his way back to health.

In recent years, he has relied on the free methadone dosing service at the Toowoomba Hospital ATODS cent adidas sale re to keep his demons at bay.

That free service has now been cancelled, meaning Michael and other addicts who have become accustomed to the sense of security it brought will have to pay for their treatment.

To the average person with a job and a mortgage, the prescription cost might seem a pittance.

Michael knows first hand the effect it could have on many recovering addicts.

He received a letter on Tuesday outlining the plan to transfer the drug pick up point to pharmacies and put the cost back on patients.

“It feels like we being left in the lurch if we don have the money,” he said.

“We been told we be paying half price for the first four weeks, and then adidas sale it goes to $60 a fortnight.

“It doesn sound like a lot, but jeez. I can only imagine what going to happen.

“After eight years, I can actually handle myself.

“But I know a lot of people aren going to.”

The free methadone service was an anomaly i adidas sale n Queensland Health, only offered due to processing issues at the Toowoomba ATODS clinic.

Michael said he knew of only a handful of clinics in the state that offered the same program.

“I know it is a privilege, and I kind of understand their point of view,” he said.

“And it not just for methadone there are a whole lot of people on psych medicines too.

“But if people are going to the clinic, it is adidas sale usually because of hardship.

“Just asking for help is a huge step for these people and they usually end up being on the program for a long time.