News (Media Awareness Project) - Heroin in Rotterdam church |
| Title: | Heroin in Rotterdam church |
| Published On: | 1997-09-16 |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-07 22:32:36 |
By Wendy Braanker
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept 14 (Reuter) Hans Visser is a Dutch
Protestant minister.
Depending on your point of view, he is also an activist, a trouble maker
or even a drug dealer.
>From the unlikely headquarters of a 19th century Rotterdam church, the
54yearold cleric pushes the legal boundaries to their limit in his
work with drug users and society's outcasts.
His latest scheme selling cutprice heroin to addicts goes too
far, according to his critics.
``We try not to provoke the public prosecutor,'' Visser told Reuters.
``My aim is to decriminalise the hard drugs scene.''
His office in the Pauluskerk, or St Paul's Church, is dominated by a
board displaying the programme's rules.
Committing them to paper and distributing them to clients would only
stir up trouble, he explained.
``The scheme will not get off to an official start either.''
Those who are interested in his plan, due to be launched later this
year, must come to the Pauluskerk in the heart of the second largest
city in the Netherlands and read the handwritten rules in person.
The idea is simple: the church will supply heroin to a small group of
addicts judged to have no hope of kicking their habit.
VISSER'S PROJECT PREEMPTS GOVERNMENT SCHEME
There is no shortage of potential customers on the nearby streets around
Rotterdam's Central Station.
To qualify for the drugs they must have a long history of addiction.
They must also be in poor health and deemed to have severe social
problems.
The church will undertake to inspect the drugs for quality and will
restrict their use by imposing a timetable.
``We have to be strict with the criteria, otherwise there will be too
many asking for heroin. A pub is not open 24 hours a day,'' Visser
explained.
His project preempts a similar pilot scheme by the Dutch government to
wean heroin addicts off the streets and away from a criminal
lifestyle.
>From next year, the Netherlands, which has the most liberal drugs policy in
Europe, will offer heroin to a test group of 50 to 100 users.
If the project delivers the desired results, Health Minister Els Borst
wants to extend it. But Visser is not at all sure she will be allowed
to. In his 16year involvement with drug users he has encountered
enormous resistance from the authorities.
The recipient of an award from Washington's Drug Policy Foundation for
his work, Visser was forced to close a centre for the homeless three
years ago after relentless pressure from Rotterdam politicians who
complained it attracted drug users.
Unbowed, Visser continues to argue that dangerous drugs should not be
banned and exiled to the criminal underworld. Instead, they should be
made available under strict conditions.
``That is better than chaos,'' he said.
Constantly on the move, he cycles from one church project to another and
can always be contacted on his mobile telephone.
``My motive is to find a contemporary interpretation for today's
church.'' Visser said.
``CHURCH IS NOT A REHABILITATION CENTRE''
In a book about his work with the homeless, ``Platform Zero,'' Visser
wrote that the church had become marginalised in today's urban
society.
Expanding on those thoughts, he told Reuters he believed the church was
a place for contemplation but also for action and an inn for
drifters.
About 75 to 150 people visit his church every day.
there are beds for refugees and a canteen serves coffee to drifters. One
visitor sat at the organ and gave an impromptu recital.
Visser offers advice over his mobile telephone as call after call comes
in.
Asked what he had achieved in the past 16 years, he cited the fact that
the Pauluskerk still existed, then added: ``We have not set our
sights too high. The Pauluskerk is not a drug rehabilitation
centre.''
In its latest attempt to improve conditions for drug addicts, Visser saw
his church as a broker without a profit motive. He pointed to three
dealers who said they were willing to deliver heroin at cost price.
``But this does not mean that we have bags full of heroin,'' he
stressed.
He was willing to face the fact that the success rate among drug addicts
was low and that drug use was often associated with violence and
intimidation. But he remained upbeat.
``In Switzerland they have a similar experiment and I have heard the
scheme is running decently.''
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept 14 (Reuter) Hans Visser is a Dutch
Protestant minister.
Depending on your point of view, he is also an activist, a trouble maker
or even a drug dealer.
>From the unlikely headquarters of a 19th century Rotterdam church, the
54yearold cleric pushes the legal boundaries to their limit in his
work with drug users and society's outcasts.
His latest scheme selling cutprice heroin to addicts goes too
far, according to his critics.
``We try not to provoke the public prosecutor,'' Visser told Reuters.
``My aim is to decriminalise the hard drugs scene.''
His office in the Pauluskerk, or St Paul's Church, is dominated by a
board displaying the programme's rules.
Committing them to paper and distributing them to clients would only
stir up trouble, he explained.
``The scheme will not get off to an official start either.''
Those who are interested in his plan, due to be launched later this
year, must come to the Pauluskerk in the heart of the second largest
city in the Netherlands and read the handwritten rules in person.
The idea is simple: the church will supply heroin to a small group of
addicts judged to have no hope of kicking their habit.
VISSER'S PROJECT PREEMPTS GOVERNMENT SCHEME
There is no shortage of potential customers on the nearby streets around
Rotterdam's Central Station.
To qualify for the drugs they must have a long history of addiction.
They must also be in poor health and deemed to have severe social
problems.
The church will undertake to inspect the drugs for quality and will
restrict their use by imposing a timetable.
``We have to be strict with the criteria, otherwise there will be too
many asking for heroin. A pub is not open 24 hours a day,'' Visser
explained.
His project preempts a similar pilot scheme by the Dutch government to
wean heroin addicts off the streets and away from a criminal
lifestyle.
>From next year, the Netherlands, which has the most liberal drugs policy in
Europe, will offer heroin to a test group of 50 to 100 users.
If the project delivers the desired results, Health Minister Els Borst
wants to extend it. But Visser is not at all sure she will be allowed
to. In his 16year involvement with drug users he has encountered
enormous resistance from the authorities.
The recipient of an award from Washington's Drug Policy Foundation for
his work, Visser was forced to close a centre for the homeless three
years ago after relentless pressure from Rotterdam politicians who
complained it attracted drug users.
Unbowed, Visser continues to argue that dangerous drugs should not be
banned and exiled to the criminal underworld. Instead, they should be
made available under strict conditions.
``That is better than chaos,'' he said.
Constantly on the move, he cycles from one church project to another and
can always be contacted on his mobile telephone.
``My motive is to find a contemporary interpretation for today's
church.'' Visser said.
``CHURCH IS NOT A REHABILITATION CENTRE''
In a book about his work with the homeless, ``Platform Zero,'' Visser
wrote that the church had become marginalised in today's urban
society.
Expanding on those thoughts, he told Reuters he believed the church was
a place for contemplation but also for action and an inn for
drifters.
About 75 to 150 people visit his church every day.
there are beds for refugees and a canteen serves coffee to drifters. One
visitor sat at the organ and gave an impromptu recital.
Visser offers advice over his mobile telephone as call after call comes
in.
Asked what he had achieved in the past 16 years, he cited the fact that
the Pauluskerk still existed, then added: ``We have not set our
sights too high. The Pauluskerk is not a drug rehabilitation
centre.''
In its latest attempt to improve conditions for drug addicts, Visser saw
his church as a broker without a profit motive. He pointed to three
dealers who said they were willing to deliver heroin at cost price.
``But this does not mean that we have bags full of heroin,'' he
stressed.
He was willing to face the fact that the success rate among drug addicts
was low and that drug use was often associated with violence and
intimidation. But he remained upbeat.
``In Switzerland they have a similar experiment and I have heard the
scheme is running decently.''
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