MPS TO BACK 'HEROIN ON NHS'

MPs are set to back Home Secretary David Blunkett's call for more addicts
to be prescribed heroin, the Observer reports.

Mr Blunkett believes more people dependent on drugs should get access to
them on prescription provided they agree to seek treatment.

The Observer reports that his view will be endorsed by the Commons Home
Affairs Select Committee when it issues a report next week into Britain's
drug problems.

The MPs will also reportedly propose the use of controversial "safe
injecting areas", such as those seen in some continental countries, the
paper says.

A Home Office spokeswoman told the newspaper that there was nothing new in
proposals to make greater use of diamorphine - so-called medical heroin.

She said: "The home secretary's position has not changed since October when
he said that doctors should prescribe more drugs if that is a way to bring
addicts in for treatment."

A Department of Health spokesman said that "heroin is not available on the
NHS" and stresed there were no plans to make it available

"Diamorophine is currently available to a very small number of drug users
prescribed by specialist GPs and we don't have any plans to change that,"
he said.

Think Tank Debate

The Observer also reports that next week's Commons Home Affairs Select
Committee report will recommend that cannabis be downgraded from a Class B
drug to a Class C drug, with ecstasy reclassified as a Class B drug.

Separately, a left-wing think tank is to debate whether legalisation would
be the best way to conquer Britain's drugs problem.

The Foreign Policy Centre, of which Prime Minister Tony Blair is patron,
will discuss whether it would be better to deal with the causes of drug
abuse rather than concentrating on punishing users.

Its debate is scheduled to take place next week before the select committee
report is published.