Many are of the opinion that the only effective treatment for addiction is a totally drug-free approach, while others support the substitution method. I am of the opinion that there is room for both methods – methadone suits some people while a substance-free approach suits others. I had a meeting recently with a group called Saoilse in the inner city who take the totally drug-free approach. There were 15 young people, teenagers to mid-twenties, all of whom accepted that the method they were using was suitable but agreed it does not work in every case. There is scope for both methods. Irrespective of the method employed, the groups and aid agencies dealing with addicts need to be encouraged and resourced properly to continue the work. The approach being taken in this strategy is the correct one.