NACD reports significant success in heroin treatment

The Government's National Advisory Committee on Drugs has reported what is says is significant success in programmes to rehabilitate heroin addicts.

In a study published today, the committee says 27% of people involved in such programmes were drug-free after one year, compared to 7% when the treatment began.

It also says the numbers involved in thefts and burglaries had fallen from 31% to 14% over the same period.

Significant reductions in intravenous drug use and improvements in physical and mental health were also observed in the study, which is based on interviews with more than 300 addicts.