Hi
> Just pisses me off (as an ex-smoker) that I vcan prescibe mathadone on NHS
> but not nicotine replacement. AFAIK getting people off the weed is one of
> the few significant health interventions you can make. Far more
> impact than
> treating hypertension on which we spend a fortune in time and effort.
>
(Ex-smoker)
Doesn't piss me off at all. There are significant differences. Most
methadone Rx is done on a maintenance basis (around here anyway) for an
illegal drug to people with chaotic lifestyles.
Nicotine substitution is given for a legal drug. You can buy it in the
shops. You can also buy nictoine patches in the shops. Try asking for
methadone at your local newsagents.
Is the price of nicotine patches and that of cigarettes not comparable? It
was when I were a lad. Buying the patches yourself surely has something to
do with motivation to stop in the first place.
Prescribing an(other) addictive and potentially dangerous substance has
pitfalls aplenty for us. What about the patients who become hooked on gum
or patches? Will you Rx for them indefinitely? Is nicotine not in itself
dangerous and highly vasotoxic?
Will it actually make any difference to the number of people hooked on
nicotine. Does making an addictive and dangerous drug more readily
available, indeed making it free at the point of need, actually reduce
consumption?!
Paul
Dr Paul Miller
Bridgeton Health Centre
Glasgow
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