Top Cop in UK Prescribes Giving Heroin to Addicts
Deputy Chief Constable Howard Roberts, of Nottinghamshire Police is one of the top cops in the UK and is prescribing giving heroin to some addicts in order to reduce crime. Roberts says that England's National Health Service (NHS) should pay for the controversial program, which will cost approximately £12,000 per addict per year.
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Roberts states that this program will be in the public interest because heroin addicts, on average, steal about £45,000 / year to feed their addictions. Heroin addicts in drug rehab centers are currently being prescribed the heroin substitute methadone in order to treat their addictions.
Roberts was speaking at the Association of Chief Police Officers' conference on drugs and recommended that heroin addicts receive diamorphine under supervised clinical conditions. The program may not be as far-fetched as it seems at first glance.
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Currently, 300 - 400 addicts receive heroin under supervised conditions by the Home Office and Department of Health project. Other pilot projects in Switzerland and Holland have shown a reduction in crime because of the supervised conditions.
The data on whether or not this form of treatment is beneficial for the heroin addict and not just the surrounding community is still being gathered. Several reports are due in the beginning of the coming year.
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