Pubdate: Thu, 24 Feb 2005
Source: Appalachian, The (NC Edu)
Copyright: Appalachian State University 2005
Contact:  http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/csil/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2788
Author: Amy Burnette
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

CANADA: FREE HEROIN, LOWER CRIME RATE

Suppose you're a heroin addict. That's right, a heroin addict.

Suppose you spend $200 a day maintaining your habit. In the life of a 
junkie, that's a pretty hefty amount of money to be spending on a daily basis.

Suppose that you would do anything just to get your fix-prostitution, 
robbing a bank, stealing Mr. Jones' Beamer - the list goes on.

Once you finally get that fix, you don't care whose needle you use and you 
aren't even thinking about whether it's dirty or not. It doesn't matter 
what diseases you get because you are only concerned about that moment. It 
never crossed your mind that you might be contracting HIV with that dirty 
drug needle you're using.

All of the sudden, you hear the shrieking of sirens heading down that back 
alley you thought you were safe in. Busted.

You have tried to kick the habit several times. You tried going on 
methadone and you have been to all those rehab clinics.

So what do you do?

Never fear! Canada is giving away free heroin!

Free heroin. That's a phrase I never thought I would hear.

In an effort to reduce crime and prostitution, Health Canada will 
distribute free pharmaceutical-grade heroin to addicts of over five years.

When I first heard about this, I thought the idea was absurd. Why would you 
give free heroin to someone so desperately addicted to the drug? Heroin is 
one of, if not the most, harmful narcotics in the world.

But think about it for a minute.

In Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, there is a high percentage of 
drug-related prostitution and crime. When you are addicted to such a 
serious drug, you will do just about anything to get your fix.

If heroin addicts are freed from the turmoil they endure daily when trying 
to find heroin, can they improve the quality of their lives?

I think so.

A heroin addict's main concern each day is when and how they will get their 
fix. If heroin were made available through a clinic for free, like Health 
Canada is proposing, addicts would have the chance to do something else 
besides look for heroin.

More importantly, the crime rate would go down and prostitution levels 
would dramatically decrease.

Similar trials concerning heroin in Switzerland and the Netherlands have 
shown positive results.

I think people are finally realizing that busting an addict for heroin and 
then throwing that person in prison is not exactly the best solution.

Only those who have been addicted for five years or more and have tried to 
quit the habit before will be eligible for the program. About 470 addicts 
will be chosen to participate in the program.

Addicts will be using safer supplies and will be less likely to contract 
deadly diseases, such as AIDS and Hepatitis-C.

People are going to do whatever they want regardless of what the law says. 
If these people are going to continue to do heroin, the least Canada can do 
is try to help them.

And by helping them, I mean making sure that they do not contract harmful 
diseases while injecting heroin and not robbing people or committing crimes 
just to get a fix.

The program for free heroin is scheduled to start around mid-March.

Giving out free heroin in Canada definitely won't solve all the problems 
concerning heroin, but I think it will improve the situation.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager