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Call to offer Heroin on the NHS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/5182790.stm
I can see the thinking behind it. In fact its my argument for legalising most drugs. If you avoid the black market element, and people dont have to go to dealers - especially for lighter drugs like cannabis, then you remove the risk of it being a gateway drug leading to other things.

Any thoughts?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why bother since they already use morphine which is purer, stronger and probably safer than heroin?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They already use Diamorphine (heroin) on the NHS which is actually stronger than morphine I believe, but theyre talking about for addicts - not for pain relief.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why bother since they already use morphine which is purer, stronger and probably safer than heroin?
    wrong there mate.

    heroin is very safe and has almost no long lasting side effects ...little or no physical or mental damage.

    the nhs use lots of heroin.
    opium is transported and processed all over the world perfectly legaly ...has been for generations.

    it should never have been made a criminal offence for the public to purchase and indulge in.

    i suspect the main reasons for wanting to prescribe heroin to addicts is not that they have seen the light and got some common sense but ...more to do with the fact that that much opium is now going to the black market ...it is actualy becoming hardr for the legitamate drug companies to lay their hands on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why bother since they already use morphine which is purer, stronger and probably safer than heroin?
    The history of heroin
    by
    Hosztafi S.
    Acta Pharm Hung. 2001 Aug;71(2):233-42

    ABSTRACT
    The discovery of heroin and the development of heroin abuse are introduced. Heroin, the hydrochloride of diacetylmorphine, was discovered by acetylation of morphine. Heroin, in pharmacological studies, proved to be more effective than morphine or codeine. The Bayer Company started the production of heroin in 1898 on a commercial scale. The first clinical results were so promising that heroin was considered a wonder drug. Indeed, heroin was more effective than codeine in respiratory diseases. It has turned out, however, that repeated administration of heroin results in the development of tolerance and the patients become heroin-addicts soon. In the early 1910s morphine addicts "discovered" the euphorising properties of heroin and this effect was enhanced by intravenous administration. Heroin became a narcotic drug and its abuse began to spread quickly. Restrictions on its production, use and distribution were regulated by international treties. The total ban on heroin production was also proposed. As a result of the strict regulations the production and cosumption of heroin showed a significant decrease after 1931. At the same time the underworld recognized the shortage of heroin and started the illicit production and trafficking. The quantity of heroin seized by law enforcement agencies in the past decades rose gradually. As an indicator of the worldwide heroin market, the quantity of confiscated heroin underwent a tenfold increase since 1970. The paper surveys the most important heroin-producing and trafficking countries. Heroin, prepared in clandestine ("kitchen" or "jungle") laboratories, is diluted ("cut") by every member of the illegal heroin distributing chain, i.e. smugglers, traffickers, dealers and vendors.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Heroin is already legally available to addicts on the NHS. Its just that not many doctors are licensed to prescribe it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    many people seem to think opium use is some modern thing ...for those of you who are interested ...press on the link ....

    http://opioids.com/timeline/
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why bother since they already use morphine which is purer, stronger and probably safer than heroin?


    heroin was developed by pharmacists to be a stronger version of morphine

    heroin = diamorphine, it is used by hospitals


    and they both safe also, the only things that kill heroin addicts are dodgy needles and the crap mixed in by dealers
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    Heroin is already legally available to addicts on the NHS. Its just that not many doctors are licensed to prescribe it.


    yeh you need the home secreteries signiture...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    heroin was developed by pharmacists to be a stronger version of morphine

    heroin = diamorphine, it is used by hospitals


    and they both safe also, the only things that kill heroin addicts are dodgy needles and the crap mixed in by dealers

    Heroin was actually developed to be a less addictive form of morphine. Oh dear, fucked that one up didn't they?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the only things that kill heroin addicts are dodgy needles and the crap mixed in by dealers
    and ...accidently putting to much in or ...getting a purer product than expected.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    and ...accidently putting to much in or ...getting a purer product than expected.

    Which is the problem with methadone, from what I hear.

    It actually is hard to withdraw from that than the heroin.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Which is the problem with methadone, from what I hear.

    It actually is hard to withdraw from that than the heroin.
    methadone addiction can be very serious.
    another problem with methadone is they dish it out in a very nice sweet sticky tasting syrup ...very tasty to children.
    why they do this is beyond me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    and ...accidently putting to much in or ...getting a purer product than expected.


    technically ODing on heroin is quite hard, as it will incpapacitate you before you can take in more through whatever method....


    in terms of drug safety, it's one of the safest known, it's just also heavily addictive


    getting just heroin in a saline solution from the NHS is one of the best ideas ever for dealing with the addiction, especially with how cheap it is
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    technically ODing on heroin is quite hard, as it will incpapacitate you before you can take in more through whatever method....

    Nonsense. OD'ing is quite easy. Bang up too much and over you go...especially if you've been taking other downers such as alcohol or benzos.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    technically ODing on heroin is quite hard, as it will incpapacitate you before you can take in more through whatever method....


    in terms of drug safety, it's one of the safest known, it's just also heavily addictive


    getting just heroin in a saline solution from the NHS is one of the best ideas ever for dealing with the addiction, especially with how cheap it is
    hang on a minute ...
    it is very easy to OD on heroin!
    very very easy ...your giving out what could be very dangerous information here.
    and since when did heroin ever come in a saline solution?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hang on a minute ...
    it is very easy to OD on heroin!
    very very easy ...your giving out what could be very dangerous information here.
    and since when did heroin ever come in a saline solution?


    thats how youd administer it in a drip, you just inject pure substances into blood stream ever


    it is one of the safest than most other drugs than can be used in hospitals etc, when used appropiately in terms of an effective dose

    if you know the purity you should be able to make a very nice estimate at a safe dose which has the desired effect

    that is what a legitimate supply does - currently people die cause of the reasons stated like poor technique so getting arteries not veins, blood infections from dodgy needles not knowing purity so unable to administer an effective yet safe dose, and the other crap in the mix like sand/talc/(whatever powder you can find) which do wonders in the blood obviously
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    Heroin was actually developed to be a less addictive form of morphine. Oh dear, fucked that one up didn't they?


    actually, it was made to get to the part of the brain more effectively and thus be more potent in strength to solve the morphine addiction problem, when actually it just transferred the statistical addictions to heroin... kind of pointless really and shows quick fixes don't work in solving addictions :(



    in regards to the actual article the only thing that makes me apprehensive is that most heroin addicts are crack addicts also, so they have to beat both addictions, not just one - but i think eventually it will work long term which is what everyone wants - it works in switzerland
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    Heroin is already legally available to addicts on the NHS. Its just that not many doctors are licensed to prescribe it.

    Exactly, and the restrictions need to change, remove the ban on maintenance prescribing, and remove some of the restrictions on prescibing and you could effectively knock out 75% or more of the black market.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    Exactly, and the restrictions need to change, remove the ban on maintenance prescribing, and remove some of the restrictions on prescibing and you could effectively knock out 75% or more of the black market.

    yeh the basic system is in place already - just needs to be streamlined and less bureaucratic, and youll have a far better system of dealing with addicts than at the moment
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    heroin was developed by pharmacists to be a stronger version of morphine

    heroin = diamorphine, it is used by hospitals
    Interesting fact...hospitals in the UK are currently running very low on diamorphine, and are having to rely on morphine and other substitutes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Interesting fact...hospitals in the UK are currently running very low on diamorphine, and are having to rely on morphine and other substitutes.


    erm afghanistan, buy the opium from their farmers, puts the black market out of business
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    erm afghanistan, buy the opium from their farmers, puts the black market out of business

    And then they grow more for the black market on the side.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    And then they grow more for the black market on the side.


    why? if we pay them more than the drug smugglers, even if we did that it'd be dirt cheap still

    the mark up on heroin from the smuggling is massive, if we buy it legit we can buy huge amounts and still cheap :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    why? if we pay them more than the drug smugglers, even if we did that it'd be dirt cheap still

    the mark up on heroin from the smuggling is massive, if we buy it legit we can buy huge amounts and still cheap :)

    That would only work if done inconjunction with a big prescribing push here, otherwise there would still be the market for the smugglers.
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