Source: Berliner Morgenpost (Berlin Morning Post) (Germany) Copyright: Berliner Morgenpost 1998 Pubdate: 23 Nov 1998 Website: http://www.berliner-morgenpost.de/ Author: Dirk Reitemeier Translator: Pat Dolan (from German text) (Note: Main points of what Senator Stahmer said summarized. Direct speech given in quotes. pd) HEROIN FOR ADDICTS IN BERLIN TOO? But Senator Stahmer rejects setting up Injection Rooms BM Berlin - Berlin is looking forward to a change in drug policy: the controlled distribution of heroin to hard core addicts is no longer taboo. "I imagine Berlin will participate in a trial of such a model," Senator Ingrid Stahmer, (Socialist Party) told the Morning Post. This was her response to the offer made by the federal government Drug Czar, Christa Nickels (Green). According to the offer states will be able to set up controlled heroin distribution models. This was agreed to by the Red-Green Coalition. Senator Stahmer said she is prepared to wait until Frankfurt and Hamburg, the cities with the greatest number of hard core addicts, have set up their models. "Berlin should await the outcome of these experiments before it decides," she said. Some hundreds of the total 8,000 addicts in Berlin would be affected. She rejected the setting up of sterile fixing rooms, however. "That would only create new drug scenes, meeting places and invite increased criminal activity," she said. Berlin spends 17 million marks a year to fight the war on drugs and has had satisfactory results from the 11 health clinics it has set up. These should not become injection rooms "To help addicts we must provide them with work and housing," she said. She was pleased with the federal plan to draft legislation for the setting up of drug clinics. "Then we shall have a clear legal basis for them," she said. As Christa Nickels explained, the new direction will serve to improve the health of the addicts concerned and help reduce the criminality associated with feeding the addiction. ......... Berliner Morgenpost 1998 - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski