Legal heroin program
A pioneering Swiss program to give addicts government-authorised heroin was overwhelmingly approved on Sunday by voters who simultaneously rejected the decriminalisation of marijuana.
Sixty-eight per cent of voters approved making the heroin program permanent. It has been credited with reducing crime and improving the health and daily lives of addicts since it began 14 years ago.
Only 36.8 per cent of voters favoured the marijuana initiative.
Olivier Borer, 35, a musician from the northern town of Solothurn, said he welcomed the outcome in part because state action was required to help heroin addicts but legalising marijuana was a bad idea.
"I think it's very important to help these people, but not to facilitate the using of drugs. You can just see in the Netherlands how it's going. People just go there to smoke," Borer said.
Parliament approved the heroin measure in a revision of Switzerland's narcotics law this past March, but conservatives challenged the decision and forced a national referendum under Switzerland's system of direct democracy.
The heroin program has helped eliminate scenes of large groups of drug users shooting up openly in parks that marred Swiss cities in the 1980s and 1990s, supporters say.
The United States and the UN narcotics board have criticised the program as potentially fuelling drug abuse, but other governments have started or are considering programs modelled on the system.
The marijuana issue was based on a separate citizens' initiative to decriminalise the consumption of marijuana and growing the plant for personal use.
Jo Lang, a Green Party member of parliament from the central city of Zug, said he was disappointed in the failure of the marijuana measure because it means 600,000 people in Switzerland will be treated as criminals because they use cannabis.
The heroin program is offered in 23 discreet centres across Switzerland, which offer a range of support to nearly 1,300 addicts who haven't been helped by other therapies. Under careful supervision, they inject doses carefully measured to satisfy their cravings but not enough to cause a big high.
The aim is to help the addicts learn how to function in society, with counselling from psychiatrists and social workers.
Health insurance pays for the bulk of the program, which costs 26 million Swiss francs ($A33.5 million) a year.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/swiss-approve-legal-heroin-program-200812...
Thanks for the clarification. I think its a good idea for all, especially since it takes out the drug dealers and perhaps even stops women from sellibg themselves to get drug money..
"The ones who are addicted are "lost" for society anyway."
Thats not true. Where I grew up I know several ex addicts who have made great lifes for themselves. I know lots more that didnt but you cant label them the way you have.
If i'm honest you cant win the war on drugs. Its too big and financially viable. I agree these programs should be tried and tested, but drugs are a cancer to society that there is no cure for yet.
[URL=http://www.avatarist.com]Avatars[/URL]
Methadone is still used I think, and it's usually sold on to get street heroin. Over the last few years trials have started that allow GP's to prescribe pure heroin that is gradually reduced in quantity over two years to wean an addict off. So, safe prescription and use, no attendant criminal activity and a program of reduction in use. What are the down sides? Initially addicts are still addicts and will not want to come off it but they are still safe and not causing anyone harm with criminal activity such as theft, shoplifting etc. If they stay this way where is the harm to society? But most after a while will seek to come off the drug in a medically controlled way.
At the moment this does not happen because GP's are not allowed to prescribe heroin, as legally they will be charged with supplying a Class A controlled substance.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
In the 70's the government used Methadone as a substitute for Heroin. I agree that this is a good idea. However, the addicts must be weaned off drugs , rather than just given them..
the early seventies doctors in the UK were allowed to prescribe heroin to users. The US 'war' on drugs put an end to this practice. Pure heroin administered properly by someone who knows its properties is a safer drug than paracetamol and harder to overdose on. Up until this time many people who had become addicted to it through medical procedures(such as ex military patients) lived a normal life on it with no outward signs of addiction or ill effects.
Once doctors were not allowed to provide it anymore there was ca huge rise in black market heroin and the crime rate shot up as people stole money to get their fix.
Also, all the physical ill effects of an addict do not come from the heroin but with what the dealers cut it with - heroin on its own is a safe drug. People over dose and die when they unwittingly get pure street heroin
and take too much or when they have not been on it for a long time and have had their tolerance reduced.
In conclusion, a program of this sort is safer for the addict and reduces the anti-social effects black market drugs have on a society - a win win situation.
Prohibition never works.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
Well, "reducing the money made through illegal drug sale" can be applied to all drugs, right?
It reduces the crime rate and increases the addicts number.
But you are right when you say that the addicted ones are already lost for society, i think this can give the wrong signal on ending or decreasing the consume of heroin.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
This program reduces the money made through illegal drug sale. This program reduces the crime rate among those who steal money to buy heroin. This program allows some control over those addicted. The ones who are addicted are "lost" for society anyway. So, overall it's a good idea.
Matty: I make your words mines too
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
In Portugal we have a similar program but it's not heroin but a less harmfull drug used to help them to end addiction.
I'm not sure if i'm reading this correctly but how can someone say that it's ok to legalize heroin but not marijuanna? As far as i know, it's heroin that makes people violent, but what can we expect on a country where the drug responsable for the biggest amount of deaths, tobacco, is legal?
If they wanna fight drugs, than they should ban tobacco and alcoolic drinks.
P.S.- I used to drink and smoke 13 years ago and i'm still here.
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
I lost a family member to Heroin almost 14 years ago. Im extremely sceptical about such programs. It may reduce the crime and certainly the spread of HIV, but its not reducing the number of addicts. Such programs will never supply the amount some of these addicts need, which will force them to return to crime. Messy to say the least.
Then again I dont have any answers either, so what option is there.
[URL=http://www.avatarist.com]Avatars[/URL]
We have similar programs in Canada, they're working very well. AIDS rates are down amongst users, as is violent crime. Also these centers are better able to help these people get off drugs when they're ready.
Where are you girl? dont see you much these days...Did you start working?
Probably an attempt to control the use of drugs...good if it works!
This type of programme is already there in Norway, I watched on Discovery. They have some centres where the drug addicts can go without hasitation. The centre provides them with a clean , disposable needles, so that the same needle should not be used by many. They are taking this step to prevent the AIDS. In thease centres the addicts also get their daily food. No need to mention that they also get their daily dose of Heroine.
The drug addicts become violent occasionaly and are likely to commit any crime, even murder. Thease centres ensures them their daily dose and tries to keep the society free from the drug related crimes.
Don't know what to call it....
Life is never boring, but some people choose to be bored.... Boredom is a choice. - Wayne W.
Its sounds more like a Legal Crime!