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June 28, 2006

Swiss 'Medicalization' of Heroin Leads to Fewer New Users

The Swiss drug-treatment policy of offering heroin addicts substitution treatment with methadone or buprenorphine has led to fewer new users, according to a study. The investigators found little merit to allegations that the liberal injectable-drug policy—particularly the use of harm-reduction measures such as low-dose methadone programs, heroin-assisted treatment, and needle-exchange programs—would prove counterproductive, Carlos Nordt, Ph.D., and Rudolf Stohler, M.D., of Psychiatric University Hospital here wrote in the June 3 issue of The Lancet.

Posted by Gary Holden at June 28, 2006 9:10 AM