Hi Sephra,
My ex has been on methadone for years but still takes heroin, crack, Valium, anything he can get his hands on. I've said on other threads that the methadone saves him money, end of. I know that some people who are sincere about getting clean go on a methadone programme and that's not to take anything away from them but my ex and the addicts I know of through him still take as many drugs as they can get. I don't know what the rules for your methadone programmes are but over here if they miss three days they're kicked off it and that can last for months before they're put back on. My ex was thrown off the programme last May and it wasn't until October he got back on. With your stepson having to travel so far, I just hope he manages it but, in my opinion, if he wants to keep using, he will despite the methadone.