Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) are one of the most innovative and disputed strategies for reducing drug-related harm. DCRs are venues that provide hygienic environments in which people are allowed to use illegal drugs under supervision of a healthcare professional, a trained allied service provider, or a peer. The first trial of this service took place more than thirty years ago and to date there are more than 90 DCRs operating in Oceania, Europe and North America. Although Italy has long-standing experience in harm reduction policies, sanctioned DCRs have been never implemented and, likewise, there are few publications on this topic. Our aim is therefore to present DCRs to the Italian readers, by highlight- ing its purposes, characteristics, evidence-based effectiveness and impacts at the urban level. Moreover, we discuss two case studies: Insite and other experiments that have taken place in Vancouver, a city that stood up as an example of excellence and innovation in this field and the ‘Stanzetta of Collegno’ (Turin), a long-lasting drug user-run DCR experience. Since the integration of harm reduction interventions in the Essential Assistance Levels in 2017, we aim to foster a debate on DCRs as a way to expand Italian harm reduction policies.
Le stanze del consumo. Un luogo sicuro e supervisionato per l’uso di sostanze illecite
Petrilli, E
2021-01-01
Abstract
Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) are one of the most innovative and disputed strategies for reducing drug-related harm. DCRs are venues that provide hygienic environments in which people are allowed to use illegal drugs under supervision of a healthcare professional, a trained allied service provider, or a peer. The first trial of this service took place more than thirty years ago and to date there are more than 90 DCRs operating in Oceania, Europe and North America. Although Italy has long-standing experience in harm reduction policies, sanctioned DCRs have been never implemented and, likewise, there are few publications on this topic. Our aim is therefore to present DCRs to the Italian readers, by highlight- ing its purposes, characteristics, evidence-based effectiveness and impacts at the urban level. Moreover, we discuss two case studies: Insite and other experiments that have taken place in Vancouver, a city that stood up as an example of excellence and innovation in this field and the ‘Stanzetta of Collegno’ (Turin), a long-lasting drug user-run DCR experience. Since the integration of harm reduction interventions in the Essential Assistance Levels in 2017, we aim to foster a debate on DCRs as a way to expand Italian harm reduction policies.
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