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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Waiting List Too Long For Methadone Treatment

More methadone treatment needs to be available in Saint John in order to continue the fight against HIV.

That from the Director of AIDS Saint John Julie Dingwell who tells CHSJ News only a handful are getting methadone, leaving many to languish or put themselves at serious risk by turning to needles for drug use.

She says the majority of people who use the needle exchange have Hepatitis C, which means most intravenous drug users will become infected and become a huge cost the health care system as Hepatitis C is very expensive to treat.

Dingwell adds there are hundreds on the waiting list for methadone treatment and hundreds more who are are not even registered.