The people of Switzerland have overwhelmingly backed a government scheme which gives regular doses of heroin, sometimes free, to long-term addicts. Early results yesterday of a referendum on the issue showed 70 per cent of the electorate supported the scheme. Government officials immediately signalled that they might expand the programme which only covers long-term addicts who have repeatedly tried and failed to give up.
"The population recognises these successes of the drugs policy over the last few years," according to the director of the Swiss Federal Health Agency.
Although opponents of the scheme were expecting defeat, they were dismayed by the scale of the government majority. To force a referendum, the organisers of the Youth Again Without Drugs initiative, who argued that the state should concentrate on repressing drugs, had had to gather 100,000 signatures.
When it became clear that the Swiss people had voted against them, the campaign accused the government of intellectual terrorism.
Many Swiss cities have relatively open drugs scenes where young people inject themselves in full public view.