90% rise in people on methadone since 1998

THERE are almost 7,000 people in Ireland on methadone, a staggering 90% increase since 1998.

The State has become increasingly reliant on methadone to wean users off heroin, and accepts that the treatment is indefinite.

This is largely based on current detoxification statistics, which show that about one in 10 people who present themselves for detoxification become drug-free.