Switzerland’s Federal Commission for Addiction and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (EKSN) is mulling the implementation of a novel initiative that proposes the distribution of prescription cocaine to individuals struggling with crack addiction. Currently, the experimental program has managed to gather strong support from both humanitarian organizations and experts in the field. Swiss authorities are now actively considering this measure, recognizing its potential benefits.
EKSN Vice President Christian Schneider stated that individuals who regularly consume crack cocaine multiple times a day find themselves trapped in a harmful cycle of obtaining and using the drug. Schneider further emphasized that their organization is proposing potential methods for providing cocaine to severely addicted crack users, with the aim of helping them escape this destructive cycle and achieve recovery.
The Federal Commission for Addiction and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases is planning the establishment of dedicated squads to visit individuals addicted to crack and offer them medical and psycho-therapeutic assistance.
Additionally, the official proposed the possibility of controlled distribution of cocaine, highlighting the state’s previous success in combating a heroin epidemic by providing the drug or its substitute, methadone, to addicts. Nevertheless, Mr. Schneider stressed that there are no intentions to distribute cocaine in large quantities.
However, some medical professionals strongly oppose this concept, asserting that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the implementation of such a program. It also remains uncertain whether the authorities would possess the capability to accurately assess the extent of demand for crack cocaine among individuals struggling with addiction, as cautioned by several addiction specialists.
Switzerland started facing challenges related to the rise in crack cocaine abuse around the year 2020. There were reports of high-quality and relatively inexpensive drugs saturating the streets. The city of Geneva was the first to be affected by the crack epidemic, which then spread to other major cities such as Basel, Zurich, and Lausanne.
The influx of small-scale street dealers of African descent coming from France has been said to play a significant role in fueling the ongoing crack crisis. The thriving drug market has also attracted users from various other countries, with only a third of crack users in Geneva being believed to be locals.
In March, Camille Robert, co-director of a Geneva-based addiction study group, bluntly stated that the addicts spread is “a third from Geneva, a third from France, and the rest are migrants.”
