1. Considering that, in accordance with article 15 of the United Nations Conference to consider Amendments to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, all practical measures should be taken to assist persons whose work so requires to gain an understanding of the problems of abuse of drugs and its prevention, and should also promote such understanding among the general public if there is a risk that abuse of drugs will become widespread;

2. Convinced of the fact that drugs need to be combated as they are enslaving many individuals in our society today, and that the abuse thereof often results in untimely deaths of the victims and untold sorrow in their families;

3. Observing that in member countries psychiatrists are administering methadone via private medical doctors and directly to drug addicts as an acceptable solution for their addiction;

4. Observing that numerous international scientific studies on the subject of methadone have shown that this artificial drug has more harmful effects on addicted individuals than the dreadful heroin, making it, for example three times as hard to end addiction to methadone as to heroin;

5. Considering that, currently in member countries, methadone, as well as being legally distributed, is legally sold by drug dealers in the streets as a hard drug, to make profit;

6. Conscious of the fact that some government-employed psychiatrists have intentionally or unwittingly concealed the dementral effects of this "cure" for drug addicts;

3. Observing that in member countries psychiatrists are administering methadone via private medical doctors and directly to drug addicts as an acceptable solution for their addiction;

4. Observing that numerous international scientific studies on the subject of methadone have shown that this artificial drug has more harmful effects on addicted individuals than the dreadful heroin, making it for example three times as hard to end addiction to methadone as to heroin;

5. Considering that currently in member countries methadone, as well as being legally distributed, is legally sold by drug dealers in the streets as a hard drug, to make profit;

6. Conscious that some government-employed psychiatrists have intentionally or unwittingly concealed the dementral effects of this 'cure' for drug addicts;

7. Observing that people have died of an overdose of methadone and that, for example, a scientific study as early as 1972 already revealed that methadone-deaths outnumbered the heroin-deaths in the City of Washington;

8. Counscious of the fact that the number of methadone-babies (babies born of a mother receiving methadone) who suffer cot-death has been found seventeen times the normal rate;

9. Considering that the Council of Europe should take cognizance of and study the overwhelming evidence of the harmful effects of the drug methadone, and of the evidence of an array of international studies and experts,

10. Recommends stringent measures against the legal administration of methadone (known as the widespread Methadone Maintenance Programme), as it has not been shown in all the years of its existence that methadone cures or in any way helps individuals who have been so unfortunate as to fall prey to drugs;

11. Advises governments and parliaments of the member states to re-educate their agencies and government-employed psychatrists working in the field of drugs on the subject of methadone, thus making it impossible for this drug to be used legally or illegaly;

12. Takes notice of drug rehabilitation methods that have results (acupuncture, the Hubbard technology (Narconon), etc), without use of drugs.

7. Observing that people have died of an overdose of methadone and that, for example, a scientific study as early as 1972 already revealed that methadone-deaths outnumbered the heroin-deaths in the City of Washington;

8. Counscious that it has been found that the number of methadone-babies (babies born of a mother receiving methadone) who suffer cot-death is 17 times the normal rate.

9. Considering that the Council of Europe should take cognizance of and study the overwhelming evidence of the harmful effects of the drug methadone, and of the evidence of an array of international studies and experts,

10. Recommends stringent measures against the legal administration of methadone (known as the widespread Methadone Maintenance Programme), as it has not been shown in all the years of its existence that methadone cures or in any way helps individuals who have been so unfortunate as to fall prey to drugs;

11. Advises governments and parliaments of the member states to re-educate their agencies and government-employed psychatrists working in the field of drugs on the subject of methadone, thus making it impossible for this drug to be used legally or illegaly;

12. Takes notice of drug rehabilitation methods that have results (acupuncture, the Hubbard technology (Narconon), etc), without use of drugs.