Warning on state provision of drugs to addicts

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by Change | 28 Sep 2009

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Suggestions that the NHS should provide people with drug addictions the drugs that they need as a way of controlling the problem may not work for everyone, it has been claimed.

Efforts to tackle the UK's drug addiction problem by providing dangerous drugs such as cocaine on the NHS could fail to solve the problem for many people, it has been suggested.

Research has recently suggested that providing cocaine addicts and other people with addiction problems access to those drugs as part of their addiction treatment could help to curb the problem and reduce the illegal trade of drugs.

However, writer and novelist Bidisha has suggested that such a solution may fail to reach many people suffering with drug addiction, because accessing the addiction treatment would require them taking the tough step of admitting to themselves and their friends and family that they have a problem.

Writing in the Guardian, the novelist explains: "For the hundreds of thousands of users actively seeking treatment, there are many more who are not yet ready to do so."

As a result, simply providing services on the NHS will not do enough to help those people because they will be unwilling to seek out the services, just as many reject the need to go to a rehab clinic for treatment.

Earlier this month, the results of Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial, in which diamorphine (pharmaceutical heroin), was given to long-term addicts under clinical conditions, were announced.

The study found that after four years of the trial, subjects had either dramatically reduced their illicit heroin use or ceased altogether.

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