The link above refers to the news story published by the BBC this morning regarding three clinics who have been trialling a new approach to address heroin addiction. Over the past 6 months these clinics have been supplying heroin for over 100 heroin addicts – the scheme involves clients attending a clinic twice a day for supervised injecting – unlike previous treatment plans, these clinics are not just using methadone, but also heroin.
The findings that have been reported this morning include a reduction in personal use of street drugs, meaning less money being spent on the illegal drug market and a reduction in crime. However, at £15,000 per person per year the NTA is considering the financial implications of the scheme. Aside from finances (treatment is reported to be three times as expensive as alternative treatment, but roughly three times cheaper than a year long prison sentence), this trial has raised many points...Some about the individual and some about crime and money....
For example, whilst the news report this morning suggested the scheme is designed to stabilise heroin addicts, it said nothing about the end goal – I.e. how long do individuals attend the scheme, what does completing the programme result in – safer using or recovery? Additionally, whilst the report advised that the 127 participants involved in the scheme had failed at other kinds of treatment, they have not reported any details. There is a proportion of addicts who do not successfully complete treatment the first time – this can be due many reasons, not least because the individual has gone into a unsuitable clinic and has been unable to engage. The point is, would £15,000 be better spent on 6 months of rehab where addicts learn to live drug free in a supervised and supportive environment, or do you think this new scheme will path the way to a healthily population and a serious reduction in drug related crime?
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