[lettie]

My work caseload contains the highest number of drug users in the whole health district and sadly it is in Hyndburn and being a midwife they are all also pregnant, many of them are teenagers. They have often become involved with a 'bad crowd' and most street drugs are highly addictive, so it soon becomes a habit. Because of the cost of feeding their habit, they turn to crime or prostitution to get the money and it is a vicious circle. Methadone programmes are available, but they are often persuaded to sell the methadone and buy something else with it. It is difficult to get on programmes, as they have to be really motivated to do it. We do manage to persuade a few when pregnant and arrange it. Private clinics have a decent success rate, but are more than most families can afford
I have known a few of our patients that have gone through a programme and are now clean, but as anyone who has ever given up the fags will empathise, giving up drugs is much harder, more side effects from withdrawal and a lot of people find the craving unbearable and suffer from real physical pain.
It is also very sad to see a baby of an addicted mother suffering these very effects