POLITICIAN: Eva-Brit Langva says that she is in a recovery phase, after being homeless and heavily addicted to drugs. Photo: Private
The Conservatives and Liberals want to have analysis stations for illegal drugs in Oslo municipality. Eva-Brit Langva (52), formerly heavily addicted to drugs, applauds them.
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Høyre og Venstre proposes an analysis station for illegal drugs in Oslo as a preventive measure to reduce overdoses. The proposal comes after an increase in the number of overdoses among children and young people under the age of 18. The parties want to support existing non-profit organizations in managing an analysis station, but also want the municipality to further develop the service. Eva-Brit Langva (52) has herself felt what drug addiction can lead to. She believes that analysis stations can save lives. Show more
Over a period of ten years, Langva was a drug addict. She was without a permanent home, and lived under several different municipal solutions.
She believes that the drug analysis station that the Conservatives and Liberals want Oslo municipality is a measure that can save more lives.
– It goes without saying that testing what you have bought, in fact what you think you have bought, saves lives, she says.
She says that she went to treatment for drug addiction in 2011, and that since then she has been in a recovery phase.
ALWAYS HOPE: Langva shares a picture from when she was a drug addict to show that it is possible to get back up in life: – If it was possible for me, it is possible for everyone, she says. Photo: Private
Langva, who is herself a municipal council representative for the Green Party in Ålesund, says that she is passionate about preventive measures that can prevent fatal consequences for users with drug problems.
– If people go to the analysis service, it will provide the opportunity to inform about how to use the drugs in a safe way, especially young people who do not have enough information about this. Many do not know how large a first dose should be, or that it can be dangerous to mix drugs with alcohol, she says.
– This is also a good way to find out if there are dangerous substances in circulation, she adds.
– Would you have used such an analysis service yourself, if it was available when you had major substance abuse problems?
– Yes! I myself have experienced creating a large wound on my arm after taking a syringe with dangerous substances. Personally, I think that this measure can be absolutely decisive and life-saving.
WANT ANALYSIS STATIONS: Health and social policy spokesperson in Oslo Conservative Party, Hassan Nawaz, says that Conservative Party and Liberal Party want analysis of drugs to reduce the number of overdoses in the municipality. Photo: Frode Hansen / VG
– Wants quality testing
– It must still be illegal to consume the drugs. The substance being tested will be destroyed immediately after the analysis, says health and social policy spokesperson in Oslo Høyre, Hassan Nawaz, to VG.
He says that in November an unusual increase was seen overdoses in a short time at Oslo University Hospital.
This worried the Liberals and the Conservatives, who this year put forward proposals for analysis stations for the revised municipal budget in 2023.
The Oslo City Council, on the other hand, voted down the proposal.
– More young people are buying substances that are more deadly than they first thought. We want to achieve quality testing of drugs, as a preventive and harm-reducing measure against overdoses, says Nawaz.
EMERGENCY: In 2021, 134 children and young people were sent to hospital after overdose. Photo: ILLUSTRATION PHOTO: Erik Johansen / NTB
In January, VG wrote about an increase in the number of children under 18 who end up in hospital after taking an overdose.
– When you see an increase in the number of overdoses, it is our moral duty to do what we can to save human lives, says Nawaz.
He explains that the parties want the municipality to support the one actor who manages the analysis station, in addition to the fact that the municipality should embark on a larger project to further develop the service:
– We essentially want the current non-profit organizations to manage the service, but that Oslo municipality should also have a hand at the wheel, says Nawaz.
Characterized by moralism
Hallstein Bjercke, first candidate for Venstre in Oslo and group leader in the city council, believes that drug policy today is characterized by moralism.
PREJUDICE-FREE DRUG POLICY: Hallstein Bjercke, first candidate for Venstre in Oslo and group leader in the city council, believes that current drug policy is strongly influenced by moralism. Photo: Baard Salvesen, Oslo Venstre
– We in Venstre believe that Oslo should have an open-minded drug policy. We obviously need a place in Oslo where people who buy different drugs can test the quality of them and make sure what they have actually bought, says Bjerecke.
He describes the overdose figures as completely unacceptable.
– This is about human life. Until we get a new drug policy in place, which is badly needed, we must do everything we can to ensure the safest possible conditions for those who use drugs today, he says.
– Saves life
MUST TRY SOMETHING NEW: Hassan Nawaz believes that people do not dare to try something new, for fear that it will lead to increased drug use. Photo: Terje Bringedal / VG
Still controversial
Currently there are only a drug analysis service in Oslo, managed by the Association for Safer Drug Policy. It is financed by private donors because it does not go under the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s grant scheme, Nawaz says.
– I find that people do not dare to try something new for fear that it could lead to increased use. But experience says that is not the case, quite the contrary, says right-wing politician Nawaz.
He also points out that countries such as Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand have already implemented test stations with positive results. He points to one rapportprepared by SERAF, Centre
for drug and addiction research.
– We also want testing at festivals, but we still feel that this is considered controversial in Norway, unfortunately, he adds.
Ina Roll Spinnangr, head of the Association for Safer Drug Policy. Photo: Private
Not financially sustainable
Ina Roll Spinnangr, head of the Association for Safer Drug Policy, says that the station is only open two days a week due to a lack of funding.
– We have a pharmacist and an engineer who work there. We would like to be open more often, but unfortunately it is not financially sustainable without public support.
She says that they still go to great lengths to get people to have substances analysed, especially in periods where there has been a lot of unrest due to pills with varying degrees of strength.
– And when there are deaths from synthetic opioids or new copycats in circulation, she says.
The goal of the analysis station is to make users more aware of the substances they consume, especially children and young people:
– We want to inform about the substance’s content, what is a safe dose of the substance in question and dangerous drug and drug interactions, says Spinnangr and adds:
– We already have several examples where we have prevented lives being lost, due to this analysis service.
Published:
Published: 31.07.23 at 13:38
Updated: 31.07.23 at 2:36 p.m
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2023-07-31 11:38:17
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