Others countries are following. The Dutch government will open heroin clinics in January 1998 for a three-month trial. Belgium, Norway, and Germany are looking seriously at state heroin distribution. The European Union and the United Nations will be wrestling with how to certify Switzerland and other member states who want to buy heroin on the illegal market. A UN agency now issues permits for such purchases, and it recently cut in half Switzerland's allotment.
Critics see a slippery slope to an all-out campaign for drug legalization.
As evidence, they cite the cheerleading of pro-legalization groups during the recent Swiss debate. D.C. Both the Lindesmith Center and DPF receive backing from American billionnaire George Soros. Dr. Ehrenfeld attended a dinner at the home of Mr. Soros where she said cocaine addiction was compared to coffee drinking and drug use was referred to as a human-rights issue. Critics say the link to Mr. Soros reveals that projects like Switzerland's heroin clinics are Trojan horses for a broader agenda. He testified Sept. 18 to a House subcommittee looking into drug legalization connections.