Interview with Jamie Bridge on DCRs

DCRs Expert Interview Series; Name: Jamie Bridge - Senior Policy and Operations Manager; 

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

1. What is your opinion ondrug consumption rooms?

"Where there is a clear need (visible, problematic public drug use; high overdose rates; etc), they are invaluable public health interventions that can save lives. The evidence clearly shows that they are effective: http://idpc.net/publications/2012/06/idpc-briefing-paper-drug-consumption-rooms-evidence-and-practice

2. Do you think that drug consumption roomsare helpful for drug users? (Please detail…)

"Yes. Not every drug user needs to use a consumption room, but for those without accommodation or safe, clean places to use their drugs – these centers can provide invaluable support."

3. Please specify what problems could be solved by drug consumption rooms.

"So many things – but mainly overdose deaths and non-fatal overdoses; public injecting and discarded drug paraphernalia; crime and disorder; HIV and other BBV transmission; injecting injuries and poor injecting techniques. Where drug consumption rooms offer facilities for injecting, smoking and sniffing drugs – they can also help people to shift away from injecting and toward safer routes of drug administration: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20167464

4. In which area of the city do you think should be located such a place?

"In any city that has high rates of overdose or public injecting. Any city should aim to do a proper analysis of need before setting up a service, including talking to the local drug users to ask if they would use such a service."

5. What perception would the community have on a drug consumption room in their area of living?

"If there is an acknowledged problem of public injecting, then residents may welcome any service that solves this problem. If not, it can be hard to open a service – due in part to ‘NIMBY’ syndrome (“Not In My Back Yard”). But services that work hard to engage local residents and explain their benefit to the community are generally well accepted (i.e. the service in Geneva does a lot of work in this area). It is crucial to get the media on side too."

6. Who should support the costs to open a drug consumption room?

"Like any other health service for vulnerable people, this should be covered by government (national or local)."

7. From your experience, what were the obstacles in developing such a service.

“NIMBY” syndrome as described before, funding, legal barriers around allowing drug use on a premises, media attention."

Photo source: Plateforme Mondiale SCMR - Global Platform DCR