December 13, 2006
Decriminalization of Heroin Leads to Drop in Drug Use
Switzerland’s change in its drug laws that 10 years ago decriminalized the use of heroin have been closely watched to see if the result would be massive increases in heroin use.
In fact, the opposite has happened. Over the 10 year period, heroin became identified as a “loser drug” and its use in Zurich has dropped over 80 percent. The reason is that the new approach has medicalized drug use and stripped it of its glamor.
Drug addicts in Switzerland are offered substitution treatment with injectable heroin on prescription, as well as oral methadone, needle exchange and “shooting galleries” where they can give themselves their fix.
Drug addiction is no longer seen by young people in Switzerland as a form of rebellion, but is now looked upon as a sickness.
Such a program needs to be combined with education to prevent new addictions, and the easy availability of legal drugs to existing addicts, which destroys the economy of the drug underground and also prevents relapsers from returning to a life of crime to feed habits they cannot control.
A change of this magnitude in the US would end the failed war on drugs, and save the country vast sums by lowering the crime rate and destroying the drug economy with all its allied illegal acitivity.
comments
One Response to “Decriminalization of Heroin Leads to Drop in Drug Use”
bravo.
Its about time!