Beyond the right to injectable heroin

Buchman and colleagues (2010) appeal to a respect for persons to justify the provision of heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) for persons dependent upon heroin. They argue that heroin-dependent persons, like persons with any other disorder, should have access to effective medical care, including HAT. We have argued elsewhere that as a matter of principle individuals should not be denied access to the most effective forms of treatment for their condition because of their mental health or criminal history (Carter and Hall in press). Nonetheless, we believe that an ethical analysis of any putative ?right to HAT? needs to also take account of other ethical principles such as distributive justice and beneficence.