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More repression, more prevention and more treatment options: the Geneva government wants to curb the drug problem.
More is more: This is how the plan presented by the Geneva government in the fight against the crack glut can be summarized. The drug, which also made a name for itself in German-speaking Swiss cities this summer, has been rampant in Geneva for some time. The canton is now taking measures and wants to prevent more, deter more, provide more care and help more in the future.
The situation at the train station escalated
The crack addicts in Geneva pose challenges in almost all departments. Five of seven government councilors took part in the media conference on the new crack plan in the canton.
More security, more prevention, more therapy and more repression: most of the additional money for this will end up in the department of Health Minister Pierre Maudet. Specifically in the consumption room Quai 9 near Geneva train station. It was the social workers at Quai 9 who had already rung the alarm bells two years ago.
This summer, when the crack problem in German-speaking Switzerland really became visible, the violence escalated in Quai 9. The social workers pulled the emergency brake and closed for a week. Since then, crack users have no longer been welcome during the day. In return they are allowed to sleep in Quai 9. This offer should be expanded because the condition of the addicts is really worrying, says Maudet.
Extreme dependency and no replacement
The Minister of Health describes the condition of addicts as “unpredictable, restless and precarious”. More sleeping spaces are needed – also outside of the facility. Quai 9 is also to be expanded and more employment programs are to be offered.
Legend:
The Geneva government has presented its plan to curb the city’s drug problem. In the picture: State Councilors Thierry Apothéloz (left) and Pierre Maudet (right).
Keystone/Martial Trezzini
Unlike heroin, crack only gives you cold turkey. There is no replacement product. The cocaine-based drug is cheap, so many addicts switch their consumption to it. Crack is extremely addictive and leaves addicts unable to eat or sleep for days.
Increase in petty crime
The problem is pronounced in Geneva. Because unlike in German-speaking Switzerland, there are dealer networks here that sell the drug ready-made and ready for consumption. Police Director Carole-Anne Kast explains that this brought the entire crack problem out of the consumption bars and into the neighborhoods two years ago. Petty crime has increased accordingly.
Making public spaces safer again is therefore a high priority, explained Kast. The police force in Geneva is being expanded. However, the goal is also to find the laboratories in which cocaine is mixed into crack, says Kast. The aim is to make life more difficult for the dealers in Geneva. A little easier for the addict. And at least safe for the residents.