Pubdate: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 Source: Times, The (UK) Copyright: 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd Contact: http://www.the-times.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/454 SHOULD DRUG ADDICTS GET HEROIN ON THE NHS? Drug Addicts Are Being Given Injections of Heroin on the NHS Under a Government-Backed Plan to Deter Them From Committing Drug-Related Crime to Fund Their Habit. Up to 150 addicts are to take part in the trial and they will receive the drug daily under the supervision of doctors and nurses. News of the new trial was revealed as one of Britain's top police drug crime experts called for the prescription of heroin to be widely available for addicts. Howard Roberts, deputy chief constable of Nottinghamshire and adviser to the Government on misuse of drugs, said that the cost of treating an addict - UKP12,000 - would be outweighed by the cost of crime committed to fund the drug. What do you think of the scheme? Will it reduce drug-related crime - and is this the best way to deal with addicts? - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine