Heroin on prescription
Should heroin addicts be given drugs to reduce crime?
A controversial scheme to give addicts heroin at supervised clinics has led to a reduction in crime. More than a hundred addicts took part in the scheme in London, Brighton and Darlington which was part funded by the government.
Here's a report by Danny Shaw, the BBC home affairs correspondent:
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Is this the right approach to tackling the problem of drugs and crime? If you've been a drug user or the victim of drug related crime are you in favour of this approach? Are you happy with any measures that reduce crime or do you feel that this is an example of society going soft on drug addicts?
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Why are we still discussing this?
In 1994 the Swiss embarked on their Heroin Assisted Treatment project. This resulted in a significant improvement of health (both mentally and physically) for the majority of the over 1200 participants. In addition, a massive reduction in criminal behavior was observed.
The HAT outpatient centers are spread over the following Swiss cities : Basel, Bern, Biel, Brugg, Burgdorf, Chur, Geneva, Horgen, Lucerne, Olten, Reinach, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thun, Winterthur, Wetzikon, Zug, Zürich and in two prisons Oberschöngrün (canton Solthurn) and Realtà
The Swiss Federal office for public health reports that :
In many cases, patients’ physical and mental health has improved, their housing situation has become considerably more stable, and they have gradually managed to find employment. Numerous participants have managed to reduce their debts. In most cases, contacts with addicts and the drug scene have decreased. Consumption of non-prescribed substances declined significantly in the course of treatment.
Dramatic changes have been seen in the situation regarding crime. While the proportion of patients who obtained their income from illegal or borderline activities at the time of enrollment was 70%, the figure after 18 months of HAT was only 10%.
Each year, between 180 and 200 patients discontinue HAT. Of these patients, 35-45% are transferred to methadone maintenance, and 23-27% to abstinence-based treatment.
The average costs per patient-day at outpatient treatment centers in 1998 came to CHF 51. The overall economic benefit - based on savings in criminal investigations and prison terms and on improvements in health - was calculated to be CHF 96. After deduction of costs, the net benefit is CHF 45 per patient-day.
http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/drogen/00042/00629/00798/01191/index.html?lang=en
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I think it's a good idea. The problem must be dealt with and this seems as good a way to do it as any.
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Richard Jackson:
Should heroin addicts be given drugs to reduce crime?
Yes, They should be given heroin WRONG answer....They need treatment instead of drugs!!!!!!
=Dennis Junior=
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Is it imagined that the street dealers are going to pack up and go away?
All that will happen is that they will target younger children.
I have no sympathy with addicts, it is their choice, it seems to me that it is one way of getting other people to fund their lifestyle.
They are parasites, living on the backs of others.
Perhaps they should be put in labour camps,in grim conditions, with no-one to hold their hands and say "there, there, we'll take care of you"
They are weak pathetic beings.
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“malcolmkyle wrote: Why are we still discussing this?”
Because the tabloid press and successive governments, who pander to their agenda, have taken over 15 years to catch up with the majority of the population who are quite happy to debate non-criminal drug strategies in an intelligent adult fashion.
Also various experiments with alternatives to prohibition are being tried in more and more countries and perhaps reflects the waning of American power, who are the main architects of this failed global war on drugs.
As well as the Swiss experiment there have been previous trials in this country that have produced similar results but were extremely low key.
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And if you administer alcohol to alcoholics there could be less car accidents. Where would it end? Very young looking sex workers for paedophiles?
There is a right and a wrong. A scheme like this only serves to blur the line. Taking drugs is illegal and at some point the drug taker made the decision to break the law and take the risk. This behaviour should not be condoned and responsibility should be taken. That said, once it is, assistance should be given to get the drug addict off the drug – not for them to stay on it to solve the crime problems.
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how convenient - we are in the process of occupying afghanistan .. more than enough poppy .. why let the afghans benefit when we can as well.
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