Pubdate: Mon, 23 Apr 2012
Source: Korea Times (South Korea)
Copyright: 2012 Korea Times
Contact:  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/916
Author: Robert Sharpe

HEROIN MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Dear editor,

There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket 
legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown 
to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users. Providing 
addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting eliminates many 
of the problems associated with illicit heroin use. The success of 
the Swiss program has inspired heroin maintenance pilot projects in 
Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands.

If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized 
crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin 
trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without 
the ubiquitous advertising. Separating the hard and soft drug markets 
is critical. As long as organized crime controls marijuana 
distribution, consumers will come into contact with sellers of 
addictive drugs like cocaine. This gateway is a direct result of 
marijuana prohibition. Drug policy reform may send the wrong message 
to children, but I like to think the children are more important than 
the message.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst at Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom