Pubdate: Tue, 18 Aug 2015
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2015 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: John Chase
Page: 6

A LESSON TO BE LEARNED

In response to "Hepatitis cases exploding in U.S." (Nation & World,
Aug. 8): Twenty years ago that headline could have been written in
Switzerland. An AIDS epidemic was out of control. The Swiss were so
desperate they tried something radical: They allowed hardA-core
addicts to register with the state to receive clean heroin. It was
controversial at first, but in 2008 the public voted to include
"heroin-assisted treatment" as a normal part of their national health
system. They also made methadone freely available as a pharmaceutical.
The proA-gram pays for itself in improved public health and safety. It
also enables addicts to hold jobs and pay taxes. The average age at
registration as an addict is slowly rising, indicating that kids are
not becoming addicted, and the number of addicts needing her-oin has
stabilized at about 1,300, in a population about the same as Florida.

The key to success was to de-politicize the issue and involve both law
enforcement and the medical community. Even the United Nations Office
of Drug Control has backed off its criticism of the program. The Swiss
are onto something. It is a story that needs telling.

JOHN CHASE,

PALM HARBOR, FL
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MAP posted-by: Matt