Heroin handout

The Dutch government is to start giving heroin to addicts. The controversial move follows a three-year study of 549 addicts by the Central Committee on the Treatment of Heroin Addicts. They found that patients on a combination of methadone and heroin were less likely to die, committed less crime, used less cocaine and were in better physical, social and mental shape than those given methadone alone (see “Fixed up”). They hope that the move will help the country’s 8000 or so heroin addicts who’ve failed to kick their habit on a methadone programme.