Berlin Offers Safe Injection Facilities to Addicts

Each day, between 20 and 40 people visit a safe injection facility in Berlin, where drug addicts can take heroin, crack and cocaine legally.

Published

10 months ago

Categories

Health

Topics

Health Policy, Europe

Places

Germany, Berlin

Transcript

SCRIPT: Berlin Zoo is one of the German capital's most enduringly popular attractions. But as well as tourists, its grounds also draw some of the city's hard drug users. Though it might seem a strange location for injecting heroin, syringes can be clearly seen on the floor. SOUNDBITE 1 Christian Hennis, Director of safe injection facility (German, 21 secs): "When you take drugs here, you are alone without any help, you're harassed, and if you take an overdose, there's nobody to help you, and that can sometimes mean death, or serious injury and illness." While public areas are still used by addicts, drug use on Berlin's streets has declined since the legalisation of safe injection facilities in 2000. They provide a hygienic space for people to legally take drugs. But they're not always popular with local residents. SOUNDBITE 2 Christian Hennis, Director of safe injection facility(German, 17 secs): "When a place which brings in drug addicts opens up, it always scares people... In the neighbourhood, people think there'll be crime in the shops, or that people are going to be robbed outside their buildings. After a while, it became clear that there was absolutely no problem." This centre, one of two in Berlin, is open five days a week, and entry is free. Users bring their own doses of drugs, while the centre provides free syringes and other sterilised equipment. SOUNDBITE 3 Jens Schmidt, Medical assistant (German, 20 secs): "We protect people throughout this part of their life, when they're taking drugs. And for many, it's only for a while. Some manage to give up. They can use drugs without dying, without contracting infections and remaining as healthy as possible." Eero has been coming to the centre for three years - to take drugs and enjoy a measure of level of stability in his life. SOUNDBITE 4 Eero Spagl, Heroin addict (German, 10 secs): "There's a shower, toilets, and also really affordable hot meals. It's cleaned and sterilised every day, all paid for by the state. And it works perfectly well." Others seem to agree. There are now 25 shooting galleries across Germany, with similar schemes in operation in Switzerland, The Netherlands and Spain. ----------------------------------------------------------- SHOTLIST : BERLIN, Germany, 30/31 October 2012 Source: AFPTV - VAR Zoologischer Garten - VAR Christian Hennis in Zoologischer Garten - Syringes and litter on the ground in Zoologischer Garten - Christian Hennis entering safe injection facility - VAR drug centre - Jens in centre - VAR sterlisied drug paraphernalia - VAR Eero in kitchen in drug centre - VAR centre