Free to O.D.

Surprise! Heroin addiction is due not to heroin use but to today's outrageous heroin prices.\nThat's the case in Canada, anyway. According to the Toronto Star, Vancouver will be the first of several Canadian cities to host an $8.1 million experiment in which heroin addicts will be given free, medically-supervised injections in an attempt to "clean up" the town. Those involved in the project feel that current rehabilitation programs are ineffective and that this federally-funded "North American Opiate Medication Initiative," or NAOMI, might be Canada's last hope of getting junkies off the streets.\nFor years, our northern neighbors have flaunted their superiority over Americans, and with pretty good reason: They're geographically bigger, smarter and skinnier than we are. Most importantly, their crime rate has been dwarfed by ours for years. Is it possible they know what they're doing?\nLead researcher Dr. Martin Schechter says, "Right now, these people are injecting contaminated heroin using dirty needles in unsanitary conditions and ... have to commit crime and prostitution to pay for their next fix. We're seeing if we can break that cycle." \nHe has a point, albeit, a shaky one. Yes, free smack would eliminate most of the need to commit crime in order to obtain smack. But what kind of message does that send out? That junkies should be pacified with their poison? What about criminals who aren't on drugs -- should they be handed money and Maseratis to get them to stop stealing?\nCanada's study, similar to a successful program in Europe, will involve 470 subjects. Half will receive methadone; the other half will get heroin for a year before getting methadone.\nSomehow it seems doubtful that hard-core heroin addicts will view this as an opportunity to wean themselves off the brown rather than a chance to get a crap-load of free horse. Panhandler/junkie Phil Denbak, who desperately hopes to be a subject for the experiment, told the Star, "I'm not going to stop using. But if I don't have to spend all day getting money for my fix, then I might be able to be more constructive."\nRight. I'm sure he'll use the time to pen a literary masterpiece.\nI heartily agree that methadone clinics ain't cuttin' it. But while I'm a bit under qualified to suggest a solution, I do feel there must be a better way to combat this problem. So why is NAOMI getting eight million bucks?\nDr. Schechter explains, "Some people are going to continue using drugs whether we like it or not. The question is, do we treat them as criminals or as people suffering from a medical condition?"\nI have a slight problem with the "suffering from a medical condition" part. Drug addiction results, at least in the vast majority of cases, from a person's voluntary decision to take the drug in the first place. I have trouble lumping this problem in with cancer and multiple sclerosis.\nAlso, free injection sites pose a problem not addressed in the Star. Knowing that addicts can potentially kick the habit in a clean and safe environment, people are going to view heroin addiction as a much less serious issue. This lackadaisical attitude will spur curious types on to try heroin, thinking injection sites will help them easily shake any dependency they might form.\nThe money and brainpower behind NAOMI needs to be put toward the prevention of heroin addiction, not toward more heroin for the addicts. It's easier said than done, but the elimination of this problem is far too complicated to be easy in any case.\nCanada has already shown us how gun control is done. If they can just lick this heroin thing, they'll have reason to snicker over our inferiority once again.