Drug experts are calling for a nationwide network of shooting galleries where heroin addicts can go to inject themselves safely.An independent expert group has recommended the government expand an existing heroin pilot study.
It follows four years of trials in Brighton, Darlington and London
where many areas showed a reduction in crime and a fall in the street
sale of
heroin.
Proponents of medical prescription of heroin say helping addicts get
fixes improves their health and deprives street dealers and violent
criminal gangs of funding.
They argue it removes the glamour from a lifestyle of drug abuse,
instead treating addiction as a medical problem that needs treatment.
Countries such as Switzerland, Holland and Germany have already prescribed the drug with positive results.
But critics say the taxpayer should not be asked to pay for heroin
when cash cannot be found for drugs to treat illnesses such as
Alzheimers.
A conference organised by
Action on Addiction and the
National Addiction Centre is to report on the findings of the UK study.
Paul Hayes, chief executive of the
National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) said the programme was controlled and held under strict clinical conditions.
"Drug treatment is very effective, and cost effective, for the vast majority of heroin addicts," he said.
"However, there are some whose problems are
so entrenched that the government committed in the Drug Strategy to
explore pilots of injectable heroin in controlled, clinical settings.
"The interim results of the pilot studies seem encouraging, and we
share the government's commitment to develop new and innovative ways to
tackle drug addiction."
Mr Hayes explained that heroin has been prescribed to addicts for decades.
He said: "Heroin has been available on prescription since the 1920s to a very limited number of addicts.
"These pilots are simply to explore whether controlled prescribing
of injectable heroin will be effective in overcoming their problems,
minimizing the harm to the public, reducing crime, and cost effective
for the taxpayer.
"In particular the pilots need to identify how many individuals
might benefit from this treatment, but at most we are talking about a
very small proportion of the 160,000 heroin addicts in treatment."