The programme of prescribing amphetamines and opiates to drug users in Stockholm carried out from 1965 to 1967 has frequently been referred to in the European drug policy debate. In this article, originally presented at the Conference on Drug Use and Drug Policy in Amsterdam in September 1996, the programme is described with regard to design, setting and outcome. The relevance of the programme for the general policy debate is discussed and a comment is given on the programme's impact on the Swedish drug epidemic and Swedish drug policy.