Treatment Of Addicts A Must In Michigan

Treatment Of Addicts A Must In Michigan

A bill now before the Michigan Legislature would establish tightly-controlled heroin maintenance programs in the state, thereby admitting what the United Kingdom conceded a half century ago: that heroin addiction should be treated as an illness, not asa crime.

The bill introduced by George Cushingberry Jr. (D-Detroit) and now before the  11-member House Committee on Public Health, calls for at least one hospital in each county of the state to administer heroin to addicts. The heroin would be provided to the patient at the cost of purchasing, preparing, and delivering or free, if the administering State Health Department finds the patient indigent.

 Cushingberry calls the bill "anti-crime legislation" and states that as much as 60% of all criminal acts in this state are believed to be drug-related. Addicts commit crimes for one basic reason: to get enough money for another fix.

"This bill would eliminate most of those crimes."

Critics will point to the risk of administering such a program. They will fear fraudulent claims by heroin users wanting to become part ot the program, or misappropriation of the heroin by state-employed dispensers of the medicine.

The Cushingberry Bill takes every precaution to prevent such occurrences physical examinations to determine that program applicants are addicted, registration and intensive investigation of all doctors, nurses and technicians connected with the program -but of course the possibility of improprieties still exists.

Implementation of the program, however, is well worth the risk. The only alternative is increased heroin use and more widespread crime.

Since implementation of the British program in 1968, the number of known addicts has dropped. the amount of heroin illicitly manutactured in the United Kingdom decreased, and the number of criminal convictions involving heroin also fell, helping to clear court dockets.

It's time Michigan and all of the United States caught up with the United Kingdom. Raymond Hood (D-Detroit) is chairperson of the Committee on Public Health as well as Democratic Floor Whip. Contact Hood in Room 320-G. The Capitol, Lansing, Mich. 48909 (phone: (517) 373-1782). He could help assure passage of this much-needed and long-awaited legislation.