Harm reduction through preventive drug checking
Preventive Drugchecking? What is that anyway?
We talk about it in an interview with Sebastian Franke and Patrick Krauße from the Safer Nightlife Projekt Drogerie Projekt der SIT – Suchthilfe in Thüringen.
Some European countries have been offering drug checking for over 20 years and have achieved very good results in terms of harm reduction and safer use, which has already been shown in several studies (Fiona Measham 2019, Drug safety testing, disposals and dealing in an English field https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.11.001). Particularly noteworthy here is the 95% decrease in clinical emergencies to festivals.
Individuals can anonymously submit an unknown sample and have it professionally analyzed. The analysis provides detailed results about the composition and can thus prevent overdoses and further physical damage.
But what is the situation like here in Germany?
And why is there currently no possibility of substance analyses in on-site use?