The Kitsap Sun, a newspaper based out of Bremerton Washington, has published an article on the advantages of methadone replacement therapy in dealing with Washington State’s opioid addiction problem. The article reporter is Josh Farley, and he did a nice job of presenting the facts around methadone’s benefits.
Josh interviewed Ron Jackson, the Executive Director of Evergreen Treatment Services, an opioid treatment clinic in Seattle, Washington. In the article (and embedded video), Mr. Jackson describes how methadone treatment incorporates counseling, and is not just medication-assistance alone. The general tone of the article was fair and fact-based, and it recognized the various ways in which methadone treatment participation helps to stabilize addicted individuals’ lives. Articles of this nature are a welcome relief from the fear mongering that some media outlets resort to when referencing methadone.
For the Kitsap Sun report, several methadone clients came forward to share details of their lives & addictions, and to specifically address how utilizing methadone provides needed support in becoming free of illicit drugs. The Kitsap Sun article pointed to an increase in methadone program enrollment in recent years estimating that about 270,000 patients are presently participating in methadone maintenance nationally. Another opioid treatment advocate was quoted as saying there are approximately 1200 methadone clinics operating in the United States.
These growing numbers indicate the value of methadone treatment in America. People with opioid dependencies need interventions that are effective and life-altering. Methadone works. Thanks to the Kitsap Sun for their journalistic integrity, and for their interest in portraying opioid addiction treatment in a fair & balanced light.
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