This past September, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved new regulations that will permit physicians to prescribe pharmaceutical grade heroin to addicts who meet strict criteria. This move is an important step forward toward Canadians reclaiming their most important property right, the right over one’s own body. This right encompasses having maximum choice in health care and the liberty to ingest any substance at their own risk.
Under the reforms, pharmaceutical grade heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine, can legally be used in treatment programs for addicts who have not responded well to existing options. Any Canadian physician can apply for access to the drug under the new regulations. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) programs have shown promise in maximizing the well-being of addicts and allowing them to live healthier, more productive lives. More common MAT programs utilize methadone or buprenorphine, and other treatment programs withdraw patients from all opioids. Similar MAT programs using heroin exist in several European nations. The Health Canada program will be the first of its kind in North America as heroin remains a class I controlled substance in the United States.
Clinics in Vancouver, British Columbia have been at the forefront in the fight for access to medical heroin. Vancouver clinics like Crosstown and Insite have openly defied federal drug policy by having nurses administer heroin or providing a safe environment for addicts to administer street drugs. One particular clinic, Crosstown, is the only of its kind on the continent; there, addicts can see nurses who will administer heroin at no cost up to three times a day. Considering usage of these street drugs and the associated unsafe needle practices put users at risk of blood borne illnesses, programs like these on the surface promote the public good.
Opponents might argue that health professionals participating in the program are threatening the health of others. The results at Crosstown do not support this; patients are healthier than those using street drugs, and the program boasts a low drop-out rate despite being relatively demanding of patients’ schedules. Others might bring up statistics on the criminal activity of users. Program participation has been found to reduce criminal offenses, supporting that this treatment method is not a threat to the individual liberty, life, or property of others.
Expanding the use of heroin in medication assisted treatment programs shows promise in combating the opioid crisis. It is paramount that government not limit the rights of individuals to consider all options in treating their medical conditions, including drug addiction. These reforms respect the individual liberty of addicts without threatening the rights of others.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/13/canada-has-just-approved-prescription-heroin/