Using historical evidence as well as interviews and observation, the author compares narcotic control policies in the United States with those in Great Britain. England, the only country in the world that has continuously used legal heroin in significant quantities, has found it helpful in a wide variety of situations -- from providing pain relief for terminal cancer sufferers to treating heroin addicts. While the author builds a strong case for the British system, he also finds much to criticize in its current status. Specific recommendations are that physicians be permitted to dispense heroin to patients in pain; that doctors be allowed to prescribe heroin for addicts within a comprehensive treatment scheme; and that all members of their medical profession, along with those in the allied fields be encouraged to experiment with innovative methods of helping drug dependent people. The text emphasizes that while there is no complete or simple heroin solution, society must attempt to create a responsible balance between repression of the drug and its use in certain defined circumstances. Chapter notes, an index, and tabular data are given. (Author abstract modified)