Drugs Users Giving To Methadone To Their Kids !

[mikey4444]

I know that drug addicts are stupid and irresponsible, but this takes the biscuit :::

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/29/parents-methadone-pacify-children-deaths-adfam

Its happening rarely according to Adfam but I find it shocking that it should be happening at all....another reason to take children away from their drug addict parents perhaps ?

[youngmafbog]

I'd like to see some actual figures on it to get an idea of the problem but having said that I dont doubt it is happening.

Maybe it is an education thing first "deliberately administering methadone to young children, apparently in misguided attempts to soothe or pacify them".

Of course, it should be monitored and if the parent is simply not fit the child must be taken away for it's own sake. Pretty sure I will get slated from the 'liberal elite' on that statement!

[emmie]

what about those babies who are born with an addiction, mother still takes drugs whilst pregnant.

[Booldawg]

I thought they had to take the methadone at the clinic in front of staff?

[youngmafbog]

From the article:
"Children born to mothers taking methadone have a drug dependency which hospitals deal with through a withdrawal program for two weeks after birth."

[emmie]

that's what i meant, its very irresponsible, keep on drinking, taking drugs,

[kvalidir]

In perspective not all drug addicts are 'stupid and irresponsible' and these are mercifully very rare cases. Taking the children of drug addicts into care routinely will only send otherwise 'respectable' drug addicts underground and prevent them getting the help they need to kick their habit. You will simply never know who they are, indeed most people know a drug addict they have no idea is addicted I would imagine. It must be underlined and underlined again that chldren born dependent on drugs must never be administered metadone however distressed they are unless it's by medical professionals. I don't believe many addicts are that stupid but some do misguidedly administer because they actually want to help their child. A deeper understanding of the dynamics of families with long term users and drug dependant babies is needed and a better strategy from healthcare professionals to assist a smooth transition form dependence to non dependence. It's heart breaking when this happens but routinely snatching people's children will only cause a spiral of further misery for thousands of families with childre who are lifting themselves away from addiction.

[mikey4444]

ymb .............I am probably one of your liberals on AB although I'm not sure of the elite bit !

But I see no problem whatsoever in taking the children away from drugs addicts, at the first sign of trouble. Addicts are, by their very nature irresponsible, otherwise they wouldn't be drug addicts in the first place.
There have been too many cases of the children of addicts taking their parents drugs by mistake. I seem to remember a recent case where a particularly stupid mother had filled up a babies drinking cup with methadone, and consequently the child drank some. In the course of my job working for the Welsh Assembly Government, I have often gone into peoples houses and found syringes on the floor or lying around on the sofa...its much more common that you would think.

[emmie]

they are more likely to suffer harm, abuse from parents who drink.
going on some degree of experience. And there are a lot more drinkers, than hardened addicts.

[mikey4444]

kvalidir...not sure how "routinely snatching people's children" equates to taking the children to a place of safety. And anyway, if these people weren't
stupid and irresponsible, they wouldn't have taken heroin in the first place, would they ?

[youngmafbog]

Oh, you are no liberal Mickey. I would put you as a true labour red and I respect you for that.

Unfortunately I have experienced the needles all over the house. When we took one of our rental properties back there were well over 100 all over the place. Nightmare to clean up and get them back to the chemist for disposal. Whilst no kids were living in there we know they did have other peoples round.

The children should always be put first. Any risk then they must be removed.

[mikey4444]

Thanks ymb...I am indeed Old Labour although I feel that I am crying in wilderness sometimes, especially here on AB !

But the issue in discussion really has nothing to do with party politics whatsoever. Taking heroin is just not acceptable at all, and doing drugs when you have young children to look after is even more unacceptable. As you say, the kids must always come first. There are plenty of good people, that can't have children, who would be glad to adopt an addict's child, and give it a good home and more importantly, a safe future.

We should stop wringing our hands in despair over this and just get on with doing the right thing !

[emmie]

do the right thing, what would that be, are you a social worker, know these cases, i know that its hard but these social workers may not have the family on their books, as at risk, so how would anyone know if there is a problem.
once they do know then i agree, but you can't take children away on a maybe

[emmie]

have you never seen children of parents who are alcoholics, or damn near, poor behaviour, violence is not the preserve of druggies,

[mikey4444]

Emmie...any children of registered drug addicts should automatically be aware of by social workers. It should be the default position. You only get methadone by being a registered addict. If that is not currently happening, then we have a national scandal on our hands.

And yes, of course alcoholics are a problem but they aren't the subject of this post.

[emmie]

no they aren't, however i suggest that children are far more at risk from alcoholics, or heavy drinkers. Drug addicts if they are getting methadone
are on a register, but their children aren't.

[Cloverjo]

Like booldawg, I also thought people had to take their methadone in front of a health worker. I have seen a man drink a substance , which I assumed was methadone, from a cardboard cup in my local pharmacy. I didn't think people could take it away and have some spare.

[youngmafbog]

Couldn't agree more emmie. But lets face it there is no chance of getting the hand wringers to do anything about alcoholics although I think you will find that once they do come to the attention of the authorities they are placed on the watch list.

Both 'drugs' and alcohol (a drug by another name really) have dangers and it would be good if we tackled it firmly. But I think we have more chance of tackling the drug users first than trying to also tackle the alcoholics too. One step at a time is needed.

[mikey4444]

ymb... you are talking remarkably good common sense this morning !

And I don't mean to infer that you don't do so normally !

[emmie]

fine, however many people are not hardened drug users, most are likely to be recreational types, but one slip can cause irreplaceable harm, cannabis smokers for example, can cause paranoia, have seen this in habitual users, do you take away their stash, or are you simply referring to those who shoot heroin. Those on methadone presumably are trying to get help for their addiction. I have seen addicts take it the local chemists, i actually didn't like this, it would have been better there was a side room where they can take it, with someone watching, as the bloke that was in the chemist wasn't. so he could have done anything with it.

[mikey4444]

emmie...there used to be a woman who had to take her methadone at the Chemists every morning, here in my village. But they opened at 08:50 just for her, and some occasional others. But you could quite clearly see her taking it through the glass panel on the door !

I may have appeared to be too hard on drugs addicts here this morning, and I appreciate that it may not be 100% their fault that they are in the awful situation that they find themselves in. Unfortunately we have had a small history of drug addiction in my family, which we managed to nip in the bud almost straightaway, which is why I am so anti-drugs. It was an experience that I have no wish to go through ever again.

Have you noticed that we seem to have a lot of celebrities these days, willing to own up to having taken hard drugs in the past, and seem almost proud of it. Stupid people, as far as I am concerned, as our current obsession with celebrity makes me uneasy as to what kind of example these self-centered people are giving to young people.