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Declining but not dying 放緩不代表受控

(added on 2008/11/07)

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Heroin addiction is the prototype of drug abuse. As both a public security and public health problem, heroin addiction poses a major challenge to national governments around the world. A significant proportion of HIV infection worldwide have been caused by needle sharing in heroin users. In Hong Kong, heroin addiction has been on the decline in the past decade. Prevalence data from Central Registry of Drug Abuse shows the decline in all districts from 1996 through 2000 to 2005. Almost all heroin users are male as shown by pie charts in each district. Despite the decline, some districts do show a persistently higher level compared to neigbouring areas. In the new towns, the decline is not as marked. The spatial heterogeneity of heroin addiction suggests that locally relevant intervention programmes would be needed to minimise harm caused to the society.

吸毒是各國政府共同面對的困難，挑戰公共衛生和公眾治安，而吸食海洛英是其中的重點。海洛英使用者共用針具，更是導致全球愛滋病毒擴散的一個主因。過去十年，香港的吸食海洛英問題逐漸減輕。藥物濫用資料中央檔案室數據顯示：一九九六、二零零零、及二零零五年間各區吸毒率持績下降。大部份吸毒者是男性，一些區域的問題比其它嚴重，而新市鎮的吸毒率下降並不明顯。圖示吸毒的地區分佈並不平均，因此在推廣干預措施時必須參考地區特癥，才能有效減低毒品對社會帶來的禍害。

Methadone 美沙酮

Methadone can be used as analgesic, cough suppressant and anti-addictive maintenance in people who are on opioids. Back in the 1970s, in order to reduce drug dependence amongst heroin users, the Hong Kong Government established methadone maintenance programme and opened clinics to provide methadone to heroin users. Oral methadone has longer action (24 to 36 hours) as compared to heroin (6 to 8 hours). Its action is to occupy the brain receptor sites affected by heroin, thereby blocking the effects as well as relieving the craving and withdrawal symptoms. Methadone maintenance reduces unsafe needle sharing and potentially reduces blood borne infections. Methadone maintenance is a form of harm reduction measure, as it potentially reduces criminal offences associated with drug addiction and leads heroin users back to a normal life.
美沙酮可以用作為鎮痛藥、抑制咳嗽及用以治療有吸食海洛英等習慣的吸毒者。早於上世紀70年代，為了減少吸食海洛英使用者的毒癮，香港政府建立美沙酮診所提供美沙酮作為代用療法。口服美沙酮的藥效可以維持24至36小時，比海洛英（6至8小時）為長。在體內美沙酮佔據被海洛英影響的腦受體，阻止毒品發揮功效，大大減低倚賴及毒癮癥狀。口服美沙酮能減少因共用針筒而引起血液感染的傳染病。美沙酮代用療法有效幫助吸毒者回復正常生活，以及減少毒品買賣而引發的種種罪案問題。