VIDEO – INNOVATION –
April 8, 2025 – A complementary but no less controversial harm reduction strategy, heroin-assisted treatment involves administering pharmaceutical-grade heroin under medical supervision. It stabilizes individuals with moderate to severe opioid use disorder who haven’t responded to other treatments, such as buprenorphine and methadone.
Studies in Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands show that heroin-assisted treatment reduces illegal drug use, improves health, decreases criminal activity and fosters social integration. A 2023 systematic review of nine randomized controlled trials in Europe and the U.K. found that heroin-assisted treatment “more consistently retains people with heroin addictions in treatment and reduces their consumption of illicit drugs.”
