Newspapers across Germany carried coverage of the press conference given

yesterday by Andrea Fischer (Greens) on the occasion of her visit to the

Frankfurt emergency drug clinic. She was accompanied by Hesse health

minister Priska Hinz (Greens). All reports were positive. The slightly

abbreviated example given is taken from the 'Frankfurter Neue Presse'

(http://www.rhein-main.net). (Courtesy Mewshawk Harald Lerch and translator

Pat Ddolan)

Pubdate: 8 Jan 99

Author: Inga Schulze

The government intends to introduce a trial of tightly regulated Heroin

distribution to hard core addicts "as soon as possible".

This was stressed by Andrea Fischer (Greens) on the occasion of her visit

to the Frankfurt emergency drug services. She was accompanied by Hesse

health minister Priska Hinz (Greens).

Details of where and when the trial will start are not yet finalized.

Several districts have expressed interest and are waiting for further

information regarding, in particular, the financial arrangements.

Frankfurt is one of the hot favorites for inclusion. All those responsible

for making the relevant decisions, including Petra Roth, (CDU), the chief

of police and the director of the city administration have declared

themselves in favor of the project.

Frankfurt has been a progressive leader in this area for some years.

Already in 1993 the city had made application for such a trial with 100

addicts. The request was stonewalled by the previous federal government.

The aim of the "heroin based treatment" is not to make addiction easier,

but to improve their health. Only then can there be any question of

preparing the way for their social re-integration and long term

rehabilitation.

The Swiss experiment showed, in addition, a massive drop in the number of

felonies and drug related mortalities.

"We shall never achieve a drug-free Germany," said Fischer, "but we can

operate on the principle of 'Treatment not Punishment'."

Frankfurter Neue Presse 1999

............

The following 12 papers also carried reports of the interview:

Stuttgarter Nachrichten http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de

Frankfurter Rundschau http://www.fr-aktuell.de

Der Standard (Austria)http://derstandard.at

K lner Stadt-Anzeiger http://www.ksta.de

Saarbruecker Zeitung http://www.sz-newsline.de

Stuttgarter Nachrichten http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de

Frankfurter Neue Presse http://www.rhein-main.net

Main Echo http://www.main-echo.de

Saarbruecker Zeitung http://www.sz-newsline.de

Sueddeutsche Zeitung http://www.sueddeutsche.de

Frankfurter Rundschau http://www.fr-aktuell.de

K lner Stadt-Anzeiger

Three Swiss papers also carried favorable reviews of the Swiss experiment.