Evidence to support heroin assisted treatment for addictions

According to University of BC epidemiologist, there is enough evidence to support heroin assisted addictions clinic in Vancouver

A study was conducted by NAOMI ( North American Opiate Medication Initiative, for three years on 251 addicts in Vancouver and Montreal. Most of these addicts were chronic and did not respond to other treatments.

"These people are out in the alleys, injecting heroin of unknown quality and quantity," said Dr. Martin Schechter, the study's principal investigator. "They're committing crimes, they're involved in sex work to pay for that, and they're certainly, in that situation, not going to get better."

He further elaborated "It could treat 200 of the most severely affected people who, right now, are completely outside of the treatment system," he said. "Rather than having them out on the street, costing society approximately $50,000-$60,000 a year, we can treat them in this type of clinic at $25 per person per day which is far, far less."

However, B.C.'s health minister revealed in a press release that provincial government needs time to come to a conclusion about funding  a heroin-assisted clinic in Vancouver.

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