A heroin prescription trial: Case studies from Montreal and Vancouver on crime and disorder in the surrounding neighbourhoods

Abstract

Background This study evaluates whether the instauration of a heroin prescription trial (‘NAOMI’) generated an impact on the occurrence of crime and disorder in surrounding areas. The clinical trial was initiated in Vancouver and Montreal in 2005, with the aim of assessing the benefits of heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) in Canada. While experiences from other jurisdictions where HAT trials have been implemented clearly demonstrate substantial crime reduction effects for trial participants, there is overall concern that HAT clinics – similar to other interventions aiming at problematic street drug users – may induce a ‘honeypot’ effect, leading to increases in crime and/or disorder problems in the vicinity of interventions. It has been argued that HAT clinics will attract undesirable behaviour associated with cultures of street drug use and thereby produce negative impacts on the community. Methods This study examined the incidence of crime and disorder in the Vancouver and Montreal sites before and during the NAOMI trial (2002–2006), using police calls for service and arrest data. Data were analysed by autoregression analyses. Results The analysis suggested that most indicators remained stable during the pre- and implementation phase of the NAOMI trial in both sites. Conclusion While the attribution of observed crime and disorder trends to the specific clinical interventions in Montreal and Vancouver is difficult and many extrinsic factors may play a role, this study has not generated any clear evidence from institutional police data to suggest increases or decreases in community-based problems associated with HAT programs in Canada.