Swiss have bad experience with injecting rooms
Drug expert Sharon Pollock visited Zurich Switzerland in August 1999 and found -
- There are no time limits at the injecting room so addicts can stay forever
- Success is only defined as keeping addicts from dying on the streets
- Every addict still uses on the streets
- Addicts can inject up to 9 times a day
- Addicts only have to wait half an hour between injections
- Addicts select the amount of heroin injected (1200 mgs or 200 mgs each injection)
- Addicts who take heroin in tablet form can take some of it home
- Most of the addicts have been using drugs for 10 to 20 years
- Heroin is Switzerland's biggest problem, followed by crack and then cocaine.
- Legal prostitutes pay for cocaine by prostitution.
- Addicts do not use injecting rooms because of multiple drug use or distance.
The Melbourne Herald Sun reported on 4/3/00 that in Berne Switzerland -
- Drug pushers loiter outside the injecting center free from police
- Addicts in the injecting center buy their drugs from the pushers outside
- Injecting centers are of no value in controlling illegal mind-altering drugs
- Drug pushers are in areas frequented by children
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
We must oppose injecting rooms and push for court ordered detoxification & rehabilitation.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
FACT SHEET M5
