Canada Gives free Heroin to Addicts

[Sticky]

Kicking the habit with free heroin
Vancouver addicts will be getting government-approved fixes in a controversial research project
As well as helping addicts, advocates say it should reduce drug-related crime

VANCOUVER—Phil Denbak will not yet allow himself to dream of a day when he has broken the grip of heroin, his almost constant companion for more than 25 years.

But he is upbeat about the latest move intended to try to improve the lives of hardcore addicts like him on Vancouver's downtown eastside: free heroin injections. Denbak, 49, is hoping to participate in North America's first prescription heroin trial, which begins here next month before expanding to Toronto and Montreal this spring.

The idea behind the study, which got final approval from Health Canada this week, is to find out if providing addicts with their average three daily fixes will improve their quality of life by eliminating the need to pay for drugs through theft, prostitution or other crimes.

-snip-
Similar studies in Europe found addicts' lives improved and crime rates fell. Some users found jobs, many shot less heroin and others got into treatment or quit the drug outright.

http://tinyurl.com/5fg9x (The Toronto Star)

[Vincardog]

1. That is the best Idea I have ever heard. Why don't we try it here?

[lasttrip]

2. really. we are so behind in these new ideas.

rw dragging us further on every front.

[Sticky]

3. Vancouver has a 'people first' attitude

They've tried several unusual programs for combatting prositution, homelessness and drug addiction - people in the province used to raise hell over methods that seemed to coddle the problem, yet there have been many successes.

Here's another story but the pic may be hard to look at:
http://tinyurl.com/5r6of

Edited to add link

[lasttrip]

4. much appreciated. nt

[LeftistGorilla]

5. well...

just in Vancouver...


for now....

[CatBoreal]

6. Thank Gods for...

Larry Campbell, Vancouver's mayor.

He's taken the attitude that drugs are a public health issue, not a criminal issue - a novel approach.

Here's hoping it works.

[HEyHEY]

7. Still there's something to be said

For giving away an illegal drug

[MrPrax]

8. NAOMI project...

Here are some links:

http://www.ofcmhap.on.ca/addiction/north_american_opiate_medication.htm
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/374/naomi.shtml
http://www.vandu.org/