Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Vietnam to offer heroin addicts methadone

Monday, April 28, 2008

Vietnam to offer heroin addicts methadone

Vietnam has opened clinics offering drug users the substitute drug methadone, to help wean heroin addicts off injected drugs and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.Two clinics have opened in the northern port city of Haiphong, which has a large number of heroin addicts and high HIV infection levels.It's expected to treat 700 drug users with the heroin substitute methadone from now until December.More clinics will open next month in Ho Chi Minh City, which has the highest HIV infection rate in the country.The United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS has welcomed the program, saying methadone programs can reduce illegal drug use, crime and mortality, as well as reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis.Observers say around 300,000 people in Vietnam are believed to be living with HIV, the majority of whom are drug users, sex workers and homosexual men.

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.