Crack use is becoming a bigger problem in Switzerland.
Keystone/Christof Schuerpf
The federal government wants to set up new contact and drop-in centres for people suffering from addiction. This was announced on Thursday following a meeting with cities, cantons and specialist organisations on the current crack cocaine situation.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Check out our selection of newsletters. Subscribe here.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), investment in facilities in areas where there are currently no addiction centres may be worthwhile in terms of alleviating the current crack cocaine situation and preparing for future developments.
Those present at the discussion agreed that people affected by addiction can be supported at an early stage with a network of psychosocial and medical addiction support services. FOPH Director Anne Lévy pointed out that psychosocial support makes an important contribution to harm reduction and addiction support, and that society also benefits from this approach.
Crack use on the rise
The Federal Commission on Addiction and the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases is calling for further measures to counteract the growing problem of crack cocaine and drug use. Among other things, innovative treatment and therapy forums and new strategies to combat drug supply should be developed and the exchange of knowledge and experience between cities and experts should be strengthened.
The use of cocaine in the form of smokable crack or ‘freebase’ has increased rapidly in Switzerland, wrote the FOPH. The substances are also increasingly being consumed in public spaces, which also affects the population.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, cocaine is the most commonly used drug in Switzerland after cannabis. In 2022, 6.2% of people aged between 15 and 64 stated that they had used cocaine at least once in their lives.
Adapted from German by DeepL/kc/sb
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss oddities
Mennonite movement turns 500 in Zurich, where it all began
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Alleged leader of Kosovar terrorist group indicted in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has brought charges against a Kosovar on suspicion of being the leader of the Swiss branch of a Kosovar terrorist organisation. He is also suspected of having been active in the management of the organisation in Kosovo.
Swiss glacier lake drains without causing flooding damage
This content was published on
The Faverges glacial lake on the Plaine Morte above Lenk in the Bernese Oberland drained over the weekend. There was no flooding or damage, the authorities announced on Monday.
Chihuahua leads Swiss rescue team to owner stuck in a crevasse
This content was published on
A Chihuahua helped to rescue a man on the Fee Glacier above Saas-Fee VS on Friday. It alerted a rescue team to its owner who had fallen into a crevasse.
Swiss bosses distance themselves from the United States
This content was published on
According to a survey of managers, Swiss companies are increasingly turning away from the USA and orientating themselves more towards Southeast Asia and the EU. This is the result of a recent survey.
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.