Source: The Times (UK)
Contact: letters@thetimes.co.uk

Dutch plan to give addicts free heroin
From Matthew Beard in Amsterdam

ELS BORST, the Dutch Health Minister, faces parliament
today with a controversial plan to give free heroin to 750
addicts. If approved, the scheme will run for two years and
aims to integrate users back into society.

A similar scheme in Switzerland has virtually eliminated crime
among addicts, but the Dutch version will be on a bigger
scale. Its opponents in parliament will argue that 750 is too
many to be experimenting with, but Dr Borst believes a large
group is needed to provide credible results.

The liberal approach to soft drugs worries European
neighbours, especially France and Belgium, which claim
Dutch tolerance of cannabis poses serious problems in the
absence of border controls. International pressure recently
prompted the Government to cut the amount of cannabis on
sale in coffee shops. Such caf_s now number 1,290.

Dr Borst argues that because she has no evidence of
cannabis predisposing the user to harder drugs, the
Government will not prosecute individual users or smallscale
dealers. She believes the danger occurs when a user
socialises where soft and hard drugs are available together.

"The separation of the markets does work," she says,
pointing out that the Dutch record on combating hard drug
addiction is better than in neighbouring countries. Other
countries' police and prosecuting authorities recognise that
criminalising softdrug use is counterproductive, she
maintains, but are unwilling to convince a sceptical public.
Last month Dr Borst approved a "weed pill" containing a
painkiller extracted from marijuana.

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