WHO ACCUSED OF SLOWNESS IN EVALUATING SWISS HEROIN-ADDICTION TREATMENT

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health is irritated by WHO's slowness in
evaluating Switzerland's policy of distributing heroin to addicts under
medical supervision. The system started in 1994 and is officially acclaimed
as successful.

However, the annual report last month of the United Nations International
Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) in Vienna, Austria said: "The Board is not
convinced that the limited positive results claimed can be attributed
solely to distribution of heroin itself, as many factors, such as
prescribing of other controlled drugs and intensive psychosocial
counselling and support, were involved."

UNDCP had, in fact, proposed in 1994 that the results of the Swiss
experiment be evaluated by WHO; this was accepted shortly afterwards by
both WHO and the Swiss government. WHO thereafter convened sundry meetings
of experts. But a final report is not expected before the end of this year.

In the meantime, the Swiss government has invited UNDCP to visit in the
autumn and see for themselves the results of the drugs programme. Similar
programmes are proposed in the Netherlands and Germany. The UNDCP report
underlines the board's "firm belief that no further experiments should be
undertaken until the Swiss project has undergone full and independent
evaluation". Whenever that may be.