No quick fix

At the time of making this documentary (1999) it was estimated that upto 1,000 heroin users in Australia would die before the ambulance reached them. Here we follow a handful of heroin addicted patients through the pilot stage of one of the world’s first scientific trials of Naltrexone, the controversial new drug being offered as an alternative to Methadone treatment, at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney. The trial is headed by Dr Jon Currie, neurologist and addiction specialist, who believes that Naltrexone could be the long term answer to Heroin addiction. Unlike Methodone, which is addictive, Naltrexone acts as a block to the receptors in the brain which Heroin acts on - in other words, it blocks the craving. However, although it is easy to get patients started on the treatment, the hard part is the follow-up and rehabilitation. If there is no support and counselling, the patient will often stop their Naltrexone treatment. It is made very clear that patient behaviour will not change unless they stay on the Naltrexone for several months - that Naltrexone is not a quick fix! Contains sequences with heroin addicts talking about their addiction, discussing Naltrexone treatment with Dr Currie, and actual footage of first stages of treatment including rapid detox, withdrawal and recovery. Reporter: Peter McEvoy.