Issue fatwa on methadone plan, council told
Fauwaz Abdul AzizPublished: Apr 23, 2005 3:24 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The National Fatwa Council should declare Islam's position on the use of methadone in drug substitution therapy (DST) to treat drug and substance abuse, said a former head of the national anti-drug agency.
The National Fatwa Council should declare Islam's position on the use of methadone in drug substitution therapy (DST) to treat drug and substance abuse, said a former head of the national anti-drug agency.
Zainuddin A Bahari said this is because the use of methadone, a synthetic narcotic drug classified under the same grouping as heroin and other opiates, raises similar moral and ethical issues as intoxicants declared as haram (prohibited) to Muslims.
Methadone, he added, is merely the artificial or synthetic form of heroin and has the same fundamental properties of opiates.
As such, the religious authorities should address the use of methadone in DST as it involves the continued intake of an intoxicant, said Zainuddin, who is now the chief executive officer of a private detoxication centre in Kuala Lumpur, when met at his office.
"The fatwa council should review its decree on the issue of drugs as intoxicants and decide whether the consumption of methadone, which is the artificial and synthetic form of heroin, is in conflict and contradiction to Syariah or in harmony with it.
"Methadone is actually heroine that is produced in the laboratory and has all the chemical components of heroin. If heroin is forbidden by the laws and religion, then shouldn't methodone be similarly prohibited by Islam?" he asked.
Long-running debate
Although a fatwa against drug abuse had been issued by the National Fatwa Council more than 23 years ago, Zainuddin's statements are among the first to bring in religion in addressing the use of methadone in the treatment of drug addiction.
His views emerge in the context of a long-running debate between proponents of the 'harm-reduction approach' of using methadone to treat heroin addicts and those who equate harm reduction to 'harm maintenance.'
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was reported to have announced that methadone was being considered for incorporation into the treatment of drug addiction in government-run rehabilitation centres.
"The National Anti-Drugs Action Committee is now carrying out a pioneer project using the methadone drugs as a way of overcoming the addicts' withdrawal symptom," he was quoted as saying.
Zainuddin said other than the similarities of methadone to heroin which suggests its harm could override the benefits of its use, practical considerations should prompt policy makers to study more thoroughly the implications of officially supplying methadone to drug addicts.
"Like all beautiful plans, taking methadone in front of an official 'administrator' who would gradually decrease the addict's intake leads one to assume the problem would decrease as the dosage is decreased.
"But like all beautiful plans, the reality is otherwise. Methadone was first introduced (in DST) in other countries 30 years ago. The practice now, however, is that methadone is more abused rather than used 'judiciously," he added.
Furthermore, he said the financial cost of distributing methadone free to an estimated one million drug addicts outside and within rehabilitation centers should already be prohibitive.
"If we cannot even afford to maintain state-run rehabilitation centers properly, how are you going to maintain the administration of methadone to one million addicts throughout the country?
"For the pharmaceuticals providing the drug, however, it boggles the mind how much they can make if methadone were distributed by the government," he added.
'Why the about-turn?'
Agreeing with him was Zaiton Zainal Abidin, a long-time activist working with drug addicts.
She questioned the assumption that current rehabilitation methods, including treatment by non-governmental organisations (NGO) have failed.
"As recently as two to three years ago, the government admitted to the failure of state-run drug rehabilitation centres and the need to consult NGOs as we are seen to be highly successful in rehabilitating addicts.
"What happened to that? Are they saying the NGO-run centres have failed also? Why the about turn and statement that we have failed?" asked Zaiton, who works together with Zainuddin as the detoxification centre as its chief operating officer.
She said the other problem related to a profound misunderstanding of the nature of drug addiction as the temptation to reach a 'high' through illegal drugs is not reduced by 'managing' it through the administration of such legal drugs as methadone.
"As they say, one is too many, 1,000 is never enough. Who wants to give up something that makes you feel good? Drug addicts only stop when they reach rock bottom. With the government supplying addicts with methadone, who will say when they reach rock bottom?
"If we cannot control the use of cough syrup for abuse by drug addicts, how can we even think we can control methadone abuse when it is given freely?" she asked.
On Monday, Malaysian Drug Prevention Association president Zainal Abidin Zin warned the government that dependence on methadone could also lead to addiction.
Zainuddin A Bahari said this is because the use of methadone, a synthetic narcotic drug classified under the same grouping as heroin and other opiates, raises similar moral and ethical issues as intoxicants declared as haram (prohibited) to Muslims.
Methadone, he added, is merely the artificial or synthetic form of heroin and has the same fundamental properties of opiates.
As such, the religious authorities should address the use of methadone in DST as it involves the continued intake of an intoxicant, said Zainuddin, who is now the chief executive officer of a private detoxication centre in Kuala Lumpur, when met at his office.
"The fatwa council should review its decree on the issue of drugs as intoxicants and decide whether the consumption of methadone, which is the artificial and synthetic form of heroin, is in conflict and contradiction to Syariah or in harmony with it.
"Methadone is actually heroine that is produced in the laboratory and has all the chemical components of heroin. If heroin is forbidden by the laws and religion, then shouldn't methodone be similarly prohibited by Islam?" he asked.
Long-running debate
Although a fatwa against drug abuse had been issued by the National Fatwa Council more than 23 years ago, Zainuddin's statements are among the first to bring in religion in addressing the use of methadone in the treatment of drug addiction.
His views emerge in the context of a long-running debate between proponents of the 'harm-reduction approach' of using methadone to treat heroin addicts and those who equate harm reduction to 'harm maintenance.'
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was reported to have announced that methadone was being considered for incorporation into the treatment of drug addiction in government-run rehabilitation centres. "The National Anti-Drugs Action Committee is now carrying out a pioneer project using the methadone drugs as a way of overcoming the addicts' withdrawal symptom," he was quoted as saying.
Zainuddin said other than the similarities of methadone to heroin which suggests its harm could override the benefits of its use, practical considerations should prompt policy makers to study more thoroughly the implications of officially supplying methadone to drug addicts.
"Like all beautiful plans, taking methadone in front of an official 'administrator' who would gradually decrease the addict's intake leads one to assume the problem would decrease as the dosage is decreased.
"But like all beautiful plans, the reality is otherwise. Methadone was first introduced (in DST) in other countries 30 years ago. The practice now, however, is that methadone is more abused rather than used 'judiciously," he added.
Furthermore, he said the financial cost of distributing methadone free to an estimated one million drug addicts outside and within rehabilitation centers should already be prohibitive.
"If we cannot even afford to maintain state-run rehabilitation centers properly, how are you going to maintain the administration of methadone to one million addicts throughout the country?
"For the pharmaceuticals providing the drug, however, it boggles the mind how much they can make if methadone were distributed by the government," he added.
'Why the about-turn?'
Agreeing with him was Zaiton Zainal Abidin, a long-time activist working with drug addicts.
She questioned the assumption that current rehabilitation methods, including treatment by non-governmental organisations (NGO) have failed.
"As recently as two to three years ago, the government admitted to the failure of state-run drug rehabilitation centres and the need to consult NGOs as we are seen to be highly successful in rehabilitating addicts.
"What happened to that? Are they saying the NGO-run centres have failed also? Why the about turn and statement that we have failed?" asked Zaiton, who works together with Zainuddin as the detoxification centre as its chief operating officer.
She said the other problem related to a profound misunderstanding of the nature of drug addiction as the temptation to reach a 'high' through illegal drugs is not reduced by 'managing' it through the administration of such legal drugs as methadone.
"As they say, one is too many, 1,000 is never enough. Who wants to give up something that makes you feel good? Drug addicts only stop when they reach rock bottom. With the government supplying addicts with methadone, who will say when they reach rock bottom?
"If we cannot control the use of cough syrup for abuse by drug addicts, how can we even think we can control methadone abuse when it is given freely?" she asked.
On Monday, Malaysian Drug Prevention Association president Zainal Abidin Zin warned the government that dependence on methadone could also lead to addiction.
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