700 intravenous drug users in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) will be the first people participating in a pilot project on detoxification by  the orally administered drug Methadone under a recent decision by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong. Does the therapy achieve the target of reducing drug users, the spread of HIV and drug crimes?

Who joined the project?

They are at 18 years old and above, who have  been residents locally for at least two years and have been using drugs for more than two years. Drug users' awareness is seriously weakened and the likelihood of mental illness becomes greater. They suffer a serious disease and must be hospitalized. However, pregnant women addicted to drugs (without use methadone within the first three months of pregnancy) and intravenous drug users infected with HIV.   

The project will also provide integrated HIV/AIDS treatment and care services for drug users infected with HIV to take part in.

Intravenous drug users account for the highest rate among HIV/AIDS carriers, around 34-36 percent and make up a higher rate in HCMC, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces. Hai Phong will be the first province to carry out the pilot project.

According to doctor Nguyen Van Vy, director of the Hai Phong Healthcare Department, 700 out of 5,000 drug users will be detoxified by methadone in the pilot project. The project will last from August, 2007 to the end of 2011. Those who take part in the project are divided into three groups to detoxify in

- Methadone is a main drug used to replacement detoxification. In the world, around half of a million people are detoxifying drug by methadone. The figure is continuing to increase.

- Methadone has been using to detoxify in Argentina. Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Malaysia. Thailand, the US and other countries.

Hai Phong HIV/AIDS Prevention Center at 186 Nguyen Duc Canh, Healthcare Center in Hai An district and the third place will be decided after considering efficiency of first ones. Hai Phong is planning to train healthcare workers to carry out the project.

How to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and crimes?

The National Institute of Mental Health has implemented a pilot project since 2005 to evaluate efficiency of replacement treatment therapy methadone for 68 drug users. Methadone helps reduce the use of drugs, illegal activities and costs paid for drug usage, contributing to recover psychology and labor capacity of drug users. The institute recommends establishing centers that apply methadone therapy in treatment for drug users based on the result of the research.        

Those taking part in the project will be taking a dose of methadone in water, but not injection, therefore, it helps avoid the risk of HIV/AIDS infection and then they can live and work like ordinary people. However, to ensure efficiency and avoid loss or illegally trade the addictive substance, methadone must be taken in front of health workers.      

According to Vietnam-based World Health Organization (WHO), a research in the US shows that the rate of HIV/AIDS carriers among group of people treated by methadone has increased from 21 percent to over 51 percent for five years. Meanwhile, the rate of people infected with the disease among group of people treated by methadone is very low, increasing from 13 percent to 21 percent.      

Hong Kong has the longest and largest -scale methadone treatment program in the Asia. Hong Kong has daily provided methadone for around 8,000 drug users since 1970. China has implemented methadone program since 2004 and plans to have 1,000 places to provide methadone for 200,000 drug users in opium till 2010.