Letter: Dangers of letting GPs prescribe opiates

Sir: In regard to the letter by Dr John Marks ('Prescribing GPs can help drug-addicted patients as much as specialists', 18 May) in which he supports addicts being prescribed opiates by licensed doctors, I would like to enlighten him on my own personal experience. As a heroin and methadone addict for over 20 years, I recall that my original addiction was caused not by 'black market drugs', but by opiates which were sold by addicts who had obtained their supplies through licensed prescribing doctors.

I am not against the prescribing of opiates to addicts in principle; however, I do feel that safeguards should be implemented, so that addicts cannot walk around with opiate drugs to be sold at will.

Yours sincerely,

B. STEWART

Hastings,

East Sussex

18 May