And that is why the plan of Rotterdam police to distribute heroin free to heavy users is doomed to failure. A functional relationship has evolved between the two drugs. Distributing heroin on a small scale to drug addict is practically useless as a tool for fighting drug related problems. Cocaine has become the number one drug in the last few years for the majority of users. You cannot stop the demand for drug number one by distributing drug number two.
Cocaine is the engine of the drugs scene.
J.P. Grund, who runs an agency for research into drug abuse, is disappointed at a resent proposal by the Rotterdam police to experiment with distributing heroin to a group of 'heavy addicts'. We simply do not have the resources to use more police to deal with the nuisance caused by drug users,' according to the 1993 Annual Plan. Almost one hundred per cent of the drug addicts in my study use heroin as well as cocaine,' says Grund. Heroin has taken on a new role. It is now used to reduce the unpleasant effects of cocaine.