prescription heroine
- Started
- Last post
- 12 Responses
- _salisae_
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/20…
Switzerland's government pays for the addicts in their country to regularly get small doses of heroine. While this seems like a bonus for those interested in taking on such a habit – crime has dropped radically – most likely saving the tax payers more money in the end.
Is this another form of socialism? government funded and administered drug addictions? i think it's a very progressive and compassionate approach and one that seems to be working really well.
- moamoa0
that country is so hmmm what can I say: unique?
- _salisae_0
A family member of mine has a similar addiction problem and he's isolated himself so totally that no one can even find him. The problem was he didn't know how to be in a society that didn't accept his problem so he's become a shadow. I've often wondered if he had drugs available for him but administered slowly and at regular intervals if we'd be able to have him around again. It just doesn't seem fair that he should feel banished from family or work life because he has deep psychological issues that he's unable to cope with.
- very sad, sorry...3point14159
- indeed very sad. but I don´t think its much different in switzerland, their intention is not to integrate them.moamoa
- its the controlling factor, as always in this countrymoamoa
- gung_hoek0
actually it´s a good idea if the usual programs, methadone or clinical rehab programs don´t work. the thing is to the hardcore users of the streets and back into a state where they can accept help. also the street H is nasty, makes´em sick. the government h is so good quality that they can actually get into regular jobs again, without anyone realizing.
regarding socialism, when you calculate the financial damage that serious h-abusers do to society (crime to finance the habit + health costs), handing out makes only more sense, from an economic perspective.
- blaw0
I'm always amazed at how quickly the functioning addict nosedives once they get to heroine.
That said, I'm a little leery of anything that makes that drug more attractive/less intimidating.
- gung_hoek0
true, but giving up on them is not the right thing to do either.
sometimes they come back.
- studderine0
^ thats right.
- cannonball0
It could be that a good part of healing could come from never having to hide the fact that you are an addict.
- Sandder0
Ok, for the last time: would there be a problem if heroin was very clean, 2 dollars a gram and widely available? I still wouldn't want to be a junky i think. But if you were one, at least you wouldn't have to steal or overdose in some vacant parkin lot or poison yourself. The government would save hundreds of billions trying to chase the stuff, you could for instance invest one thousandth of that in extra healthcare needed by people being addicted.
- craighooper0
The US "War on Drugs" was lost long ago.
The western stance that "drug addiction is a criminal issue" must stop. It is a social/health-related issue. It's here (drug addiction), and it sure-as-hell ain't going anywhere.
If long-term addicts that show no progress in recovery, there is only 1 realistic option, and that is what is outlined in the article in Switzerland. Most of these people have major underlying mental health issues and were not working as bank executives when suddenly afflicted w/ a serious daily heroin habit. These people need help, and we have the solutions right in front of us. Give them the drugs they need. Watch what happens: property offensives plummet, as does drug-related crime—across the board.
Come on world, get-on-board: help these people, get w/ the 21st century...
Hey, we could continue down the path we've been following—it's working well isn't it?