Dutch cut overdose deaths by dispensing pure heroin
Only the most hardened drug abusers qualify for the program in the Netherlands
The Plain Dealer (US)
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Public-health experts in the Netherlands say free distribution of government-funded heroin is one reason that drug-related deaths are far less common than in the United States. The program also has reduced crime and improved the quality of life for many users, according to Ellen van den Hoogen, who runs the clinic. Is it an answer for the United States, where the opioid epidemic continues to claim more than 100 lives every day? Maybe it should be, said Van den Hoogen. "It's been an enormous success. I think it would work elsewhere." The Netherlands program started in 1998, modeled after a similar, successful effort in Switzerland. Several other European countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom, have adopted the model as well.
