Pubdate: Fri, 04 Feb 2005
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Kirsty Scott, The Guardian
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

'SAFE HEROIN USE' STUDY CRITICISED

Campaigners condemned the publication yesterday of research which suggests 
that heroin can be taken over a long period without destroying people's lives.

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University identified 126 long-term 
heroin users in the city who were not experiencing the health and social 
problems normally associated with the drug. Some were in good jobs and 
well-educated. They included a chef, a computer analyst and a plumber.

The survey, funded by the Scottish executive and published by the British 
Journal of Health Psychology, prompted a debate on how to tackle drug use. 
David Shewan, of the university's Centre for the Study of Violence, 
insisted the study did not play down the risks of the drug. "It is not a 
study about heroin being safe; it is a very dangerous and addictive drug," 
he said. "Our report highlights the importance of individual, situational 
factors leading to addiction."

But Alistair Ramsay of the campaign group Scotland Against Drugs said it 
was not helpful that the findings were getting so much publicity. Heroin 
use in Scotland had been declining recently, but there were still about 
50,000 users.

"These are people who have a problem with their heroin use - health 
problems, legal problems, financial problems, domestic problems," he said. 
"If you have over 50,000 people saying 'I can't handle this', and you have 
126 saying 'yes I can', you don't have to do the maths to work out 
statistically that if you take this it is going to be bad for you.

"The message we would want to put out is that heroin is a very dangerous 
drug. You don't know where you are going to end up ... they all start out 
believing they can manage it. The people in the study might be halfway to 
the stage of bottoming out. We just don't know."

Almost three-quarters of the 94 men and 32 women interviewed for the study, 
were working, most at the higher end of the employment scale. Only two had 
lost their jobs because of their drug use.

Nearly two-thirds were educated beyond secondary-school level. Almost half 
described their health as "good", and by the end of the four-year study 
only six had begun specialist treatment.

When asked about the executive's funding of the study, Jack McConnell, 
Scotland's first minister, said it was important to research drug use. But 
he was vehement in his condemnation of heroin. "I oppose any use of heroin. 
I condemn it and I want us to take a firm stand and send a very clear signal."

Dr Shewan said the main message was the need for sensible discussion on how 
to deal with drug problems. "We should be looking at the person involved 
and the broader social environment. To simply focus on a particular drug, 
be it heroin or alcohol, is unhelpful in terms of treatment and 
intervention and criminal justice policy. To make bold statements about the 
war on drugs helps nobody who actually has a problem."
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager