EU agency backs giving heroin to drug addicts

The EU drugs agency has published a report backing the controversial provision of heroin to chronic addicts.

Two treatment services here, Merchants Quay Ireland and the Anna Liffey Drug Project, welcomed the report by European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (Emcdda) and called on the state to follow suit.

“New heroin-assisted treatment is an issue that has attracted much attention, controversy and confusion,” said Emcdda director Wolfgang Gotz. “Internationally, a number of experimental projects have been beginning to suggest that for some of those failing to respond to other approaches, the use of diamorphine [medical heroin] as a substitution medicine may be an effective way forward.