The city of Frankfurt has set itself the goal of keeping the number of drug-related deaths low. A new concept is now intended to help crack addicts in particular.
The first consumption room opened in Frankfurt around 30 years ago. Since then, a lot has changed in Frankfurt’s drug policy and in the way it deals with addicts in the city. Among other things, the so-called Frankfurt Way was established. The consumption rooms have so far been used mainly by heroin users and are not designed for crack addicts – but that is now set to change.
The latter drug is currently considered the most commonly consumed drug in Frankfurt’s train station district. For this reason, the expansion of Frankfurter Weg now planned by the city of Frankfurt includes an integrated drug and addiction support center with a consumption area specifically for crack users.
Consumption, medical treatment, substitution and psychosocial counseling should be possible under one roof in the future. This will make access easier for addicts and shorten the process. “Unlike in the early 1990s, we now have 30 years of experience that a pragmatic, accepting and humane approach to the drug problem achieves the best results in the long term,” says Frankfurt’s social and health minister Elke Voitl (Greens).
The drug scene in Frankfurt is now very heterogeneous and consists of very different people who suffer from a variety of other problems in addition to addiction, explains Voitl. These include mental illness, homelessness and legal problems.
“Added to this is the spread of crack, which is smoked openly on the street in rapid intervals and is making people miserable,” says Voitl. Drug consumption rooms must therefore be made even more suitable for hyped-up crack users than they are now.
The Frankfurt approach has led to a rapid drop in the number of drug-related deaths in Frankfurt – contrary to the trend in Germany, the number is also remaining at a low level. There are currently four drug consumption rooms in Frankfurt. They offer a total of 37 places for intravenous consumption and 17 places for smoking. Around 400 consumption events are counted in the rooms every day and 2,800 syringes are issued.
