A FIX FOR THE HEROIN EPIDEMIC

REGARDING Dani Garavelli's column, Switzerland's heroin maintenance
programme has been shown to reduce disease, death and crime among
chronic users. Providing addicts with standardised doses in a clinical
setting eliminates many of the problems associated with heroin use.

Heroin maintenance pilot projects are underway in Canada, Germany,
Spain and the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin
maintenance would deprive organised crime of a core client base. This
would render illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future
generations addiction.

Cannabis should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without the
ubiquitous advertising. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is
critical. As long as cannabis distribution remains in the hands of
organised crime, consumers of the most popular illicit drug will
continue to come into contact with sellers of heroin.

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, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington DC