How do you tackle a heroin crisis? By prescribing heroin

As a probation officer in 1980s Bootle, Julian Buchanan only wanted to get people off drugs. Then he changed his mind.

Dear members — in the 80s, heroin hit Liverpool. “Smack City” became the tagline and a prohibition-based approach was widely deemed the only solution. Not everyone agreed though. A radical group of clinicians, public health directors and social workers gradually developed a harm-reduction based approach where they formed bonds with drug users, handed out clean needles and even prescribed heroin and methadone. One of them — Julian Buchanan — a probation officer turned drug specialist who has since spread his message globally, spoke to Jack about how the ‘Mersey Model’, as it became known, saved lives.

Before that though, your Post briefing, including (another!) note on the Arriva North West bus strikes, where the end is finally nigh.