A BBC news report has shown that in London some heroin addicts are being prescribed heroin on the NHS. Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative politician, does not accept this. She said
"My concern about giving heroin to addicts is you are not tackling the root cause of their problems. You don't get someone off drugs by giving them drugs. You remove the danger of dirty needles - but not the addiction".
This attitude is common within the coalition government. I think it is harmful. Diamorphine (pure heroin) and methadone are useful in treating heroin addicts. They allow the treatment for addiction to be in two easier steps instead of one big step. Often it will be simply impossible for someone to recover from addiction unless they can do this. Even if an addict only ever achieves the first step that in itself is immeasurably preferable to remaining on street heroin. Someone who takes methadone or diamorphine might still be an addict but their situation is completely different.
Firstly, an addict does not need to commit crime in order to buy street heroin. Women do not feel the need to be prostitutes. Although prostitution does not necessarily damage the physical or psychological health of women, the inadequate criminal justice system in this country means that some are.
Secondly, clean needles mean that an addict is not going to get HIV or hepatitis.
Thirdly, diamorphine and methadone are pure. Street heroin doesn't start off pure, but then it is cut with various substances so that dealers can make more money from it. These substances can be very injurious to health.
Fourthly, the dose of diamorphine and methadone is controlled precisely. People could take relatively large doses of pure heroin for years without it harming their health too much, but heroin kills large numbers of people because it is so easy to overdose on street heroin. Addicts find it very difficult to work out the strength of their heroin and how much they can use without it killing them.
The attitudes of people like Ann Widdecombe to both diamorphine and methadone will lead to death and damage to many people. I'm not saying that addicts should not try to gradually reduce the dose they take or even try to abruptly stop. But it helps if they can get off street heroin first. Many will never be able to overcome addiction without diamorphine or methadone. Even if they never achieve total abstinence from drugs they will be much happier.
I agree with you, but a politician like Ann Widdecombe does not look at things logically, but through the filter of her religious and "moral" viewpoint. The resulting nonsense is guaranteed not to upset the owner,editor or readers of The Daily Mail and The Tablet, but do nothing about the roots of herion addiction and the wave of petty crime that blights city living.
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