MAYBE THE SWISS HAVE A BETTER IDEA

Editor, Have the Swiss lost their clock-ticking minds? How could over 70
percent of Swiss voters approve their government's distribution of heroin
to addicts? Why have they accepted storefronts where addicts walk in off
the street, sit down and inject illegal drugs under medical supervision?
After a decade of experience, how could the Swiss vote to embrace needle
exchange programs in their beautiful and notoriously clean communities?

What could the Swiss be thinking? Well, possibly, enough of them to tilt
the balance actually studied the carefully conducted research on two-year
heroin prescription pilot programs in Zurich, Bern and Thun, which
demonstrate not only dramatically improved health and social integration
for the hardcore addicts, but a greater than 75 percent reduction in
drug-related crime from those enrolled in the programs.

The Swiss are a famously practical people. Maybe we could learn something
from them, but, first, we must face the fact that America has the worst
drug problem in the world because America has the worst drug policy in the
world. That is a long discussion for which there is not space here, so I'll
leave you with one question: What would a 75 percent reduction in
drug-related crime do for our community?

JOEY TRANCHINA

Redwood City