Drugreporter July, 30th 2024: Drug Consumption Rooms around the world By Roberto Perez Gayo and István Gábor Takács.
What are drug consumption rooms?
Drug Consumption Rooms are safe spaces where people can use drugs under hygienic conditions, with support, and without fear of violence or legal repercussions. Today, more than 140 legally-sanctioned DCRs operate in 11 European countries, as well as in Australia, Canada, Mexico and the USA. Join us on a global video tour to discover why they were established, how they support their local communities and how these life-saving harm reduction facilities have evolved over time.
As the newly published Policy & Advocacy Brief on Drug Consumption rooms by Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network describes: «Drug Consumption Rooms are commonly defined as services where people can use pre-obtained drugs under hygienic conditions, with professional support, and in a safe environment without fear of violence, arrest or legal repercussions.
As part of these services, trained staff intervene in the event of a drug-related overdose or other medical complications and provide education on safer use practices. DCRs also supply equipment for drug use and a wide range of other services, including social, medical and mental health care and support, either onsite or through a referral system.
The primary concern and goal of DCRs is that of supporting the health and well-being of people who use drugs; for instance, by preventing overdose mortality, providing primary physical and mental healthcare, reducing transmission of communicable diseases and enabling testing.
Not only are DCRs successful health interventions, but they also have a positive impact on wider healthcare by decreasing the strain on ambulance services and in reducing long-term health consequences and costs.
DCRs minimise risks and harms resulting from the ‘risk environments’ that people who use drugs experience as a consequence of physical, social, economic and policy factors while additionally reducing drug use in public spaces and perceived public nuisance.
While these aims are fundamental, the harm reduction potential of DCRs is not only limited to offering a space to safely use drugs and to reduce drug use in public. Low-threshold DCRs also promote voluntary access to other types of support (health, housing, social, economic, and legal services) which might otherwise be too high- threshold for their clients to access.»
Watch the full film co-produced by Drugreporter and Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network here:
