Zurich wants to defuse open crack scene with new contact point
Published: Wednesday, Nov 15th 2023, 16:20
Updated At: Wednesday, Nov 15th 2023, 16:23
Back to Live Feed
The city of Zurich is opening a new drop-in center for drug addicts on Thursday. Serious addicts can smoke crack and freebase in this container village. The aim is to defuse the newly emerged open drug scene in district 4.
The heart of the container village on the barracks site is the inhalation room with 19 places. Here, addicts can smoke crack and freebase, i.e. cocaine mixed with baking powder and ammonia respectively, in a protected environment. The pipes are provided by the city for 4 francs each.
After 30 minutes at one of the bistro tables, however, they have to leave the room to make room for the next addict. "There should be as little waiting time as possible so that addicts don't end up using on the street again," said Florian Meyer, head of the city's contact and drop-in centers.
Micro-trade is tolerated
"The core of the scene stays here all day." There are sofas available to help them calm down, and there is a counter serving drinks and food. The addicts can also shower and wash their clothes here. "The main aim is harm reduction," said Meyer. This also includes tolerating micro-trafficking in drugs so that it does not take place on the street.
The container facility will now remain on the Kasernenwiese for two years. After that, another temporary facility is planned on the site. In 2030, the drop-in center will then move permanently into a room in the barracks.
Addicts were informed
There was actually already a drop-in center in the barracks. However, this had to be closed because the rooms were needed to accommodate asylum seekers. However, the alternative location at Allmend was too far away for the addicts, which is why they settled in the bakery complex.
Around 1,000 addicts in the city of Zurich have been informed about the new service on the barracks site in recent weeks, according to the city. Drug addicts who continue to use drugs in public spaces will now be "consistently referred to the new service".
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic