Swiss government to set up new addiction centres

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. 

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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. 

+ Switzerland’s alarming crack epidemic

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. 

+ Read more: Changing drug use forces cities to come up with new solutions

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

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