I have experienced at first hand, through my own family, that methadone is not the answer.

For one, it is more addictive than heroin itself, and two, it’s a well-known fact the users openly admit to this just being a further top-up to the habit.

I feel strongly addicts should be left to their own devices, or even made to go cold turkey, which one of my family succeeded in doing.

My main concern is for the very unfortunate children of addicts.

Why can’t the Government put the millions towards helping to stabilise a future for them, instead of, in most cases, leaving them to depend on the extended families, who get very minimal financial support?

By doing this we are creating a nation of drug addicts, where life is made so easy for them.

They chose the life they lead, the kids don’t get a choice. These children deserve a better start in life. — Sorry Mother Of Three.

They have been popping up all over the place over the past couple of weeks.

I first saw them at the start of the month.

We are constantly hearing of rising fuel bills and the impending energy crisis, yet people flaunt the anxieties of others in this manner.

I am not against Christmas. However, I feel we should be moderating our festive celebrations to reflect our country’s financial/environmental state. — Anon.

I live in Hawick Drive and due to the route changes I actually have to walk further from the bus stop when returning home.

I don’t mind, though, as I no longer have to sit on the bus for 40 minutes to get home.

It takes only 25 minutes and I will now use the bus service more often.

In the Hawick Drive area there are no other bus routes into the town centre or Ninewells, so the residents here have no choice over which bus service to use, unlike some Whitfield residents who can use the Fintry service if preferred.

The service is still benefiting from fuel economy as the bus is no longer going round Whitfield twice nor is it doing the loop through Summerfield Avenue. — Happy With The New Service.

I for one would have preferred this money to be used in a way that would have benefited the entire population of Scotland, not just one section.

It is unfortunate that you will have to wait an hour for this bus instead of the previous half hour that one reader stated.

As most OAPs don’t work, can’t they arrange their day of probably shopping, bingo or visiting friends to revolve around the new timetables? — Regular Bus User.

As a student, I have to use the Strathtay service every day to get into University in Dundee.

Now, Strathtay claim it takes a mere 35 minutes on a bus to get into Dundee, which is astonishing to me considering I have to get on a bus at least an hour before my classes begin.

Perhaps if the services were better organised there wouldn’t be two buses turning up at the back of each other, then the next bus turning up late.

It’s about time something was done and that somebody spoke up for the unhappy Strathtay bus users. — Skint Student.

Far from the small country of Norway receiving help, from Britain or anywhere else, it still has a Sovereign Wealth Fund in excess of £100billion.

Ireland guaranteed its bank deposits and benefited from a modest influx of overseas capital.

Though experiencing the same problems as every other country at this time, its borrowings are modest compared to the UK’s.

Depending on whether you take the Government’s figures, or choose to include PFI projects and the cost of the bank bailouts, the UK’s current debts are between £637billion and £1100billion.

Iceland is in serious trouble but it was the UK which helped increase its International Monetary Fund loan. Most of the countries which have sought IMF help are quite large — Hungary, Pakistan and Turkey, to name but a few. — Balance Sheet.

However, the Prime minister’s finest hour statement led me to ponder on how best to mark his achievements.

I suggest a statue, sited on the white cliffs of Dover and on the scale and style of “The Angel of the North”. — Scotus.

It is Labour who takes Fifers for granted.

Half a century of solid Labour representation has been rewarded with years of pit closures, factory closures, rising fuel and food bills and scandalously low pension increases.

And now Labour is endangering our national football team with support for a Team GB at the 2012 Olympics and thousands of potential job losses with The Bank of Scotland as an independent bank. — The Watchman.