Heroin maintenance programmes Harm reduction

timeline of total number of u.s. overdose deaths involving heroin.

providing medical prescriptions pharmaceutical heroin (diacetylmorphine) heroin-dependent people has been employed in countries address problems associated illicit use of drug, potential benefits exist individual , broader society. evidence has indicated form of treatment can improve health , social circumstances of participants, while reducing costs incurred criminalisation, incarceration , health interventions.

in switzerland, heroin assisted treatment established programme of national health system. several dozen centres exist throughout country , heroin-dependent people can administer heroin in controlled environment @ these locations. swiss heroin maintenance programme regarded successful , valuable component of country s overall approach minimising harms caused illicit drug use. in 2008 national referendum, majority of 68 per cent voted in favour of continuing swiss programme.

the netherlands has studied medically supervised heroin maintenance. german study of long-term heroin addicts demonstrated diamorphine more effective methadone in keeping patients in treatment , in improving health , social situation. many participants able find employment, started family after years of homelessness , delinquency. since then, treatment had continued in cities participated in pilot study, until heroin maintenance permanently included national health system in may 2009.

a heroin maintenance programme has existed in united kingdom (uk) since 1920s, drug addiction seen individual health problem. addiction opiates rare in 1920s , limited either middle-class people had easy access due profession, or people had become addicted side effect of medical treatment. in 1950s , 1960s small number of doctors contributed alarming increase in number of drug-addicted people in u.k. through excessive prescribing—the u.k. switched more restrictive drug legislation result. however, british government again moving towards consideration of heroin prescription legitimate component of national health service (nhs). evidence has shown methadone maintenance not appropriate opioid-dependent people , heroin viable maintenance drug has shown equal or better rates of success.

a committee appointed norwegian government completed evaluation of research reports on heroin maintenance treatment available internationally. in 2011 committee concluded presence of numerous uncertainties , knowledge gaps regarding effects of heroin treatment meant not recommend introduction of heroin maintenance treatment in norway.

the first, , only, north american heroin maintenance project being run in vancouver, b.c. , montreal, quebec. currently, on 80 long-term heroin addicts have not been helped available treatment options taking part in north american opiate medication initiative (naomi) trials. however, critics have alleged control group gets unsustainably low doses of methadone, making them prone fail , rigging results in favor of heroin maintenance.

critics of heroin maintenance programmes object high costs of providing heroin users. british heroin study cost british government £15,000 per participant per year, equivalent average heroin user s expense of £15,600 per year. drug free australia contrast these ongoing maintenance costs sweden s investment in, , commitment to, drug-free society policy of compulsory rehabilitation of drug addicts integral, has yielded 1 of lowest reported illicit drug use levels in developed world, model in rehabilitated users present no further maintenance costs community, reduced ongoing health care costs.

a substantial part of money buying heroin obtained through criminal activities, such robbery or drug dealing. king s health partners notes cost of providing free heroin year one-third of cost of placing user in prison year.