Heroin experiment is key to cutting crime - Öpik (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

Heroin experiment is key to cutting crime - Öpik

September 17, 2009 11:05 AM

Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, Lembit Öpik has called for an expansion of the successful pilot scheme to give heroin to addicts in clinics in order to reduce street crime. Lembit, who has long campaigned for a total change in UK drugs policy, said "this trial has had astonishing effects on crime and the use of street heroin. It could provide the key to dramatic reductions in theft, burglary and robbery and to cuts in the prison population.

"It's also obvious that this treatment is a little more than a third the cost of a prison place. Sadly, at present, prison is exactly where most of these addicts currently end up after inflicting massive harm on their communities.

"Switzerland has already shown that giving heroin to hardened addicts who cannot be weaned off heroin makes sense. I now call on the UK Government to do the right thing and build on that success. When we find the courage to prescribe heroin, we'll begin to solve the problems which come with addiction. Until then, those who talk about fixing the issue by increasing sentences for addiction are only fooling themselves."

Ends/diwedd

Notes:

Lembit and the organisation Transform met with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP on 15 July of this year pressing for a debate on the legal regulation of the drugs market.

To find out more about the organisation, please visit http://www.tdpf.org.uk/