Swiss Legalize Heroin Injections

Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a safe-injection program for heroin addicts today, BBC reports. The referendum, backed by 68% of voters, makes permanent a 14-year-old Swiss program that allows doctors to shoot up heroin users while attending to their medical and mental health needs. Switzerland will be the first nation to make such a program official policy.

Voters also rejected a plan to legalize marijuana, with only 37% supporting looser pot laws. Opponents of decriminalization feared it would lead to tensions with neighboring countries and attract too many dope-smoking tourists, the AP reports. “I think it's very important to help these people, but not to facilitate the using of drugs,” said a voter who supports safe-injection sites but opposes legalized weed. 
(More Switzerland stories.)