Substances | What could it look like in a state of drug use? Helsinki organized an experiment

The initiative for drug use rooms is currently under consideration by the social and health committee of the parliament.

If If a drug use room were to be opened in Helsinki, what would it look like?

At least one thing is clear. The operating room should not be a space where drugs will only be used. So it’s not about booths set up on the street corner, but facilities could be placed, for example, in connection with already existing day care centers.

“We’re talking about a larger entity than injection sites,” says the head of the work facing the A-klinikkasäätiö Have a bite of Dal Maso.

Dal Maso was one of the organizers of the operating space simulation held on Tuesday in Hakaniemi, Helsinki. In the simulation, the day cafe of the A-clinic foundation was changed for the day to reflect the operating room, which the invited guests could “test”.

During the test tour, the guests were able to familiarize themselves with the services of the operating room, from testing substances to the injection room and seeing a doctor. In the simulation, the drugs were replaced with caffeine tablets and sugar.

Jenny Kaasinen-Wickman presented the injecting room in the operating room simulation. Picture: Outi Pyhäranta / HS

If realized, the use rooms would be intended for people who have already used drugs by injecting them for a long time. Picture: Outi Pyhäranta / HS

Organizers according to it is important to remember that with the help of operating rooms it is possible to get long-term problem drug users to adhere to the services offered by society.

If realized, the use rooms would be intended for people who have already used drugs by injecting them for a long time. In addition to a safe injection area and clean tools, it would be possible to do business with, for example, a doctor and social guidance in the operating room. In this way, it would be possible for the user to get contacts to, for example, housing services or a replacement care clinic during one visit.

According to Dal Mason, the most effective operation would be if, for example, two or three smaller utility rooms could be opened in Helsinki. Establishing one large utility room could increase the restlessness of the environment, but even in smaller units the restlessness would be less due to the number of people.

Drugs There has been an active discussion about utility rooms in recent years. The citizen’s initiative in favor of utility rooms collected the necessary 50,000 signatures and is now being considered by the social and health committee.

Operating rooms have also caused opposition. Opponents fear that they will normalize drug use and therefore lead to even worse drug problems in Finland.

In practice, the legalization of drug rooms would mean that the use and possession of drugs would be allowed in precisely defined areas.

The operating rooms are believed to reduce the adverse effects of drug use and at the same time bring low-threshold social and health services to the users’ attention.

Several authorities have come forward to support the experimentation of operating facilities. For example, the Police Board and the Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) have supported the legal project enabling the experiment.