Three heroin addicts showed up at the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) clinic on Tuesday, the first of 157 users who will take part in the study. "Today, the treatment stage of the NAOMI study begins," said spokesman Jim Boothroyd. "The clinical trial is fully up and running."

Half the group will get heroin, while the other half will get methadone; drugs will be taken under supervised conditions using clean needles, and users will get free medical care and $150 for taking part in the study.

An estimated 4,000 opiate addicts live in the downtown Vancouver neighborhood where NAOMI is based; the study participants have all been addicted for five year or more and have previously failed in methadone or abstinence-based programs. Program participants will visit the clinic three times daily.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by rachel on 01 Apr 08 06:51 AM EDT

why cant they do that on the isle of wight in england

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