Norway to give free heroin to 400 addicts: report

Norway’s government is to start providing free heroin to up to 400 hardened addicts as it pushes forward with its drug policy reforms.

The Aftenposten newspaper reported on Thursday evening that Health Minister Bent Høie had asked the Norwegian Directorate of Health to draw up a list of which addicts were most suitable to receive so-called “heroin-assisted treatment”, and to assess the economic consequences of developing a heroin treatment program.

“We want to help those addicted who are difficult to reach, those who are not part of LAR (drug-assisted rehabilitation) and who are difficult to treat,” he told the newspaper.