Supervised Drug Consumption Facilities to Instill Harm Reduction and Social Cohesion at Local Levels

Most European cities are faced with drug use and trafficking in public spaces. Supervised drug consumption facilities (SDCFs) can be a tool for reducing open-space drug consumption, reduce the harm caused by drugs and addictions to local communities, and mitigate the related challenges to urban security. But how should such facilities be established and operated in order to ensure their acceptance by local residents and serve the needs of their users?

This publication explores SDCFs as a way of fostering public security and social cohesion in Europe. It provides an overview of European municipalities’ approaches to implementing SDCFs to reinforce their local harm reduction and urban security strategies, gathers together examples of practice, provides an assessment tool for monitoring security-related impacts and the local integration of SDCFs, and provides practitioners and policymakers with arguments and recommendations for the establishment of SDCFs at the local level.

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