The city of Saint John in Canada is not immune to robberies. In fact, many of the break- ins citizens were experiencing were a result of the high rate of drug addicted individuals seeking to secure the drugs or money needed for their next hit. Relief has now come to the area, however, in a surprising solution.

According to a post in the Telegraph Journal, armed robberies are half of what they were before a methadone clinic opened in the city. When proponents lobbied hard for the clinic, crime reduction was one of the promises.

In the city of St. John, methadone is given to those with an addiction to drugs such as Dilaudid, OxyContin or heroin. Methadone is known to ease the cravings for these opiate-based drugs. This newest clinic provides methadone with forced counseling as an alternative to other treatment options.

There is currently a waiting list of roughly 100 people seeking access to the clinic, although the government plans to make further investments so that those needing the methadone treatments will be served.

Those advocating the clinic argue that waiting lists are not a good thing to have as the aim is to provide individuals with the necessary steps and treatment to empower them to change their behavior. This is demonstrated in the reduction of armed robberies in the area by 55 percent.

Data shows that those individuals involved in the armed robberies are heavily addicted. As a result, many of them do not care about the consequences that come in response to their actions. This indicates a desperate situation for the individual, who may do anything to get the money to support a habit.