Switzerland has long had a comfortable and measured response to heroin use and it seems that at long last, authorities across the Atlantic are starting to sit up and take notice.

Vancouver, a city with a history of tolerance and assistance towards drugs and their users, will soon begin trials for the distribution of legal heroin.

Despite having operated a needle exchange program for over a decade, the city has been rocked by a spate of deaths at the Providence Medical Clinic. A bad batch of a heroin substitute caused 31 deaths in two days over October. After the deaths, the decision was made to enter clinical trials with a view towards starting the prescription program.

BaDoink has talked at length about opium/heroin and the long, damaging history of the drug. Further forays into decriminalization and prescription may be the only way to both regulate it and attempt to control and ease the burden on both addicts, their immediate surroundings and society as a whole.

The War On Drugs has been mocked ever since its inception. It’s akin to trying to fight clouds; any angry thrusts just go right through the issue and ignore not just the causes of addiction, but the consequences too.

Given that the Center For Disease Control estimated that heroin use had grown a whopping 74% from 2009 to 2012, it’s obvious that draconian measures such as jail time for addicts (because they never have drugs in jail!) are as helpful as a chocolate fireguard.

So, let’s hope for a few things here: Regulation and prescription meaning less death, less addiction and a fair and tolerant environment for people who have simply made a mistake.