Pubdate: Mon, 19 Feb 2007
Source: Independent  (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)

POLICE CHIEF CALLS FOR HEROIN TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE NHS

Heroin should be prescribed to long-term addicts to prevent them from 
committing crimes to feed their habits, the head of Britain's police 
chiefs has suggested.

Ken Jones, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, 
also admitted that current policing tactics are failing to combat a 
"hardcore minority" of heroin addicts.

He called for a political consensus on the issue of heroin 
prescription on the NHS, and a more "realistic" approach to tackling 
long-term drug abuse. Mr Jones argued that by prescribing heroin the 
police would be able significantly to reduce overall crime and 
prevent deaths from overdoses.

The former chief constable of Sussex is the most senior police 
officer to give his support to heroin prescription and his 
controversial view is likely to be criticised by organisations 
opposed to any form of drug liberalisation.

Mr Jones, who is head of the organisation that represents the most 
senior ranks of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, said: "You 
need to understand there is a hard core, a minority, who nevertheless 
commit masses of crime to feed their addiction. We have got to be 
realistic - I have looked into the whites of these people's eyes and 
many have no interest whatsoever in coming off drugs. We have to find 
a way of dealing with them, and licensed prescription is definitely 
something we should be thinking about.

The most common treatment for heroin abuse in Britain is methadone, a 
synthetic drug similar to heroin but less addictive. Heroin 
prescription is used in Switzerland and the Netherlands, where it has 
been credited with turning offenders away from crime.

In the UK only a few hundred of the 40,000 registered heroin addicts 
are currently being prescribed heroin as part of a limited 
experiment. Heroin addicts commit on average 432 crimes a year, 
costing a total of UKP45,000, according to research.

Mr Jones's organisation, Acpo, has said officially that it will await 
the outcome of the current limited trial before making a formal 
policy statement.

But Mr Jones said: "I was a drugs officer and we have to be 
realistic. There is a hardcore minority who are not in anyway shape 
or form anxious to come off drugs. They think 'I am going to go out 
there and steal, rob, burgle and get the money to buy it'. What are 
we going to do - say 'OK we are going to try and contain this by 
normal criminal justice methods' and fail, or are we going to look at 
doing something different? Start being a bit more innovative. It is 
about looking at things in a different way without turning away 
completely from the current position."

He added that drug prices in some areas of the UK had reached a 
historic low, which he conceded was a good indicator that drugs were 
readily available.

He said: "I am not in any shape or form a legaliser, but what I am 
concerned with is that we have to shape up to some tough realities. 
We don't have enough treatment places for those who want to go on 
them. What we need is a cross-party consensus which considers the 
overwhelming public view to be tough on the roots of drugs, as well 
as treating its victims."

Studies on heroin prescription in the Netherlands and Switzerland 
found significant reductions in illicit drug use among those 
receiving the treatment. Both the Swiss and Dutch reported a drop in 
the crimes committed by their addicts.

The widespread prescription of heroin in Britain was phased out in 
the 1960s. GPs in England and Wales have the legal power to prescribe 
heroin, but do so extremely rarely.

The UK has 327,466 hardcore "problem drug users" who are regularly 
using either heroin, crack or cocaine. A report by Glasgow University 
last year found that fewer than 4 per cent of heroin addicts beat 
their habit with methadone. There are an estimated 40,000 problem 
heroin users using methadone.

Mr Jones said that he knew of one region where many years ago doctors 
had prescribed heroin to try to deal with problem addicts. "There are 
junkies who are alive today who would have been dead now," he said. 
"Their lives are stable, yes, their addiction is being maintained, 
but far better they are being maintained than them trying to get 
their fix off the street from crime. Heroin is an incredible 
stimulator of crime and I think we are foolish if we don't acknowledge that."

On a separate issue, Mr Jones also called for the introduction of a 
written constitution to remove any suggestion that the Government is 
using the police for political purposes. He argued that without 
written rules the police service will always be vulnerable to the 
suggestion that it is being manipulated by ministers at the Home Office.

He argued: "There used to be much more clear water between us and the 
Government, there has to be for public confidence to remain. The 
minute that the public perception is that we are now being 
politically directed by the government of the day, then some of that 
confidence will leak away.

"There is the unease sometimes that we are being misused, but I don't 
see any evidence of that. If there was a much clearer demarcation in 
terms of a constitution then I think we would be less vulnerable to 
those suggestions.

"But people have nothing to refer to, if someone from a particularly 
political persuasion says why are we doing this, or that, then I 
would like to be able to refer to a written constitution."

UK drug facts

40,000 addicts are registered in the UK

200,000 addicts are estimated to be living in the UK

UKP30-UKP100: price per gram of heroin on the streets of the UK

2,200kg of heroin was seized and taken out of the supply chain in 
Britain in 2005-06

744 people died of heroin-related causes in 2003-04

200 deaths related to methadone, the heroin substitute, in 2003-04 
(Source: ONS)

90 per cent of heroin in the UK comes from Afghanistan

12,687 deaths were related to drug misuse by males from 1993 to 2004

3,401 deaths in 1993-2004 among females, with heroin/ morphine most 
commonly mentioned substances
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