Nurses leader supports prescription heroin on the NHS

The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Peter Carter  has stated that he is in favour of prescribing heroin on the NHS. Dr Carter also said at the RCN congress in Bournemouth that he is in favour of drug consumption rooms where users would be able to inject drugs under medical supervision.

Feedback from pilot studies of prescription heroin schemes in London, Darlington and Brighton has been positive and the reports suggest that they can considerably reduce local crime rates. A safe environment to inject can also significantly reduce overdose rates, helps to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases such as Aids and hepatitis and also can bring individuals with drug dependencies in contact with the social services for the first time. At the moment there are about 60 consumption rooms in about 36 different cities however Dr Carter who is supportive of the initiative says that more research is needed.

Critics have attacked such policies saying that they are effectively paying for heroin users to stay addicted at the taxpayer’s expense instead of curing their dependencies. However Dr Carter argues that this is not true “critics say you are encouraging drug addiction but the reality is that these people are addicts and they are going to do it anyway.” Such policies are designed to divert addicts from dealers and the illegal market therefore reducing crime rates and the risk posed to society. Studies into consumption rooms highlight that their existence means that in the local area there are less cases of people injecting themselves in public places such as school playgrounds and stairwells.

Results from the pilot study where 127 long-term heroin addicts were prescribed heroin to be injected under medical supervision in three cities were promising. Over a six-month period the amount of crimes committed by the individuals in the pilot was reduced by two thirds. The Justice Secretary Jack Straw also supports the program and stated, “for the most problematic heroin users it may be the best means of reducing the harm they do themselves, and of stamping out the crime and disorder they inflict on the community."

The proposal for prescription heroin arose as nurses at the RCN conference discussed the treatment of chronic drug users. The three main political parties have all expressed interest in alternative treatment for long-term addicts. David Cameron has also previously upset some members of the conservative party by advocating such measures stating that the existing treatment system was not working "as well as it could."