Heroin addicts in Switzerland are expected to be able to obtain the drug on prescription if the final outcome of a referendum on the subject reflects early exit polls.

20 of the country’s 26 cantons all appear to have voted in favour of the scheme put forward by parliament earlier this year.

Switzerland has had an experimental project in place since 1994.

The referendum was instigated by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party which was seeking to overturn the parliament’s decision.

The government believes allowing addicts to obtain prescription heroin will reduce crime.

The Swiss were voting on five issues in the same referendum. Early results indicated they had rejected a proposal to decriminalise cannabis.
The first 20 cantons are believed to have given it a resounding ‘no’.

Copyright © 2012 euronews