Naltrexone Treatment

Reverend the Hon. F. J. NILE [5.05 p.m.]: I wish to place on the record my support for the treatment of heroin addicts with naltrexone. As honourable members may know, I observed the application of naltrexone to a long-term heroin addict at the rapid detoxification centre at Liverpool, and I was impressed. I had expected the client to undergo a traumatic procedure - as I had seen on a television program, which depicted patients in Israel who had been treated with naltrexone under anaesthetic and suffered frightening convulsions. When I was asked to observe this person, I steeled myself for the same reaction. However, I was surprised by what I observed. The client, Tony, was administered naltrexone through an intravenous drip. Dr Siva, the treating doctor, told me that I could talk to Tony while the naltrexone cleansed his body of the heroin. He was not unconscious.

Whilst I observed the procedure, I talked to Tony, who was quite relaxed. After the procedure, Tony rested in another room, which provided a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, where I observed him for another half an hour. Finally, he was able to get up and, because he had the supervision of his parents, was allowed to go home. He was supplied with naltrexone tablets, to be taken once a day. The naltrexone treatment may be required for up to six months. Interestingly, a person who takes methadone is more difficult to treat than a heroin addict. It takes 12 months to detoxify a person on methadone. That is a warning that perhaps we fool ourselves if we think that heroin addicts are better off taking methadone. Methadone is a substitute drug, and it is harder to detoxify a person who takes methadone.

I was impressed with the naltrexone treatment provided at the rapid detoxification centre at Liverpool. A report states that the centre has treated 458 patients addicted to heroin and methadone using the rapid detoxification naltrexone maintenance. That maintenance requires the taking of a crushed tablet in a small glass of orange juice, or other liquid, which ensures that the person receiving treatment swallows the complete naltrexone tablet. That is essential. If they keep a tablet under their tongue or hide it to sell, their treatment would fail and that may have happened in other failed naltrexone cases. The tablet is always crushed and put into a drink
Page 635
and the person drinks it under supervision.

The percentage of patients who have family-intense counselling and a commitment to be drug free and crime free who participate in that program and are not dependent on heroin after three months is 98.2 per cent, after six months 89.9 per cent and after 12 months 81.6 per cent. Some people say it should not be called a miracle treatment but it is pretty close to a miracle. I have been to other old-fashioned detoxification clinics in Sydney where even well-meaning doctors have indicated that under those programs they would get a 1 per cent success rate. It is important that naltrexone treatment is given a chance and that it has the full support of this Parliament.