For years, in neighborhoods in the northeast of Paris, camps of crack users have been regularly moved by the police. Residents, exasperated, do not want it near their homes. Who are the users of this highly addictive drug? Can a long-term solution be found? What are our European neighbors doing? Part of the answer with Laurence Théault, journalist in the France service of RFI. She has a long-standing interest in substance abuse issues.
In this episode of News cookies, Laurence Théault first explains what this drug is, which appeared in France some thirty years ago. ” Crack is the drug of the poor. It is called the pebble, the pancake. It is a smokable derivative of cocaine and has a very strong and immediate flash effect. “.
There are nearly 43,000 regular crack users in France, some 13,000 users in Paris, including 200 who live in public spaces, grouped together in the north of Paris. Users are generally in extreme precariousness: “ They’re the poor of the poor, they have no home says Lawrence.
The problem of accommodation seems essential to help these populations: ” Experiences have shown that from the moment the user settles down a bit, we can talk to him and he reduces his consumption. “.
If the absence of a substitute product increases the difficulty of taking care of drug addicts, in Europe, countries have launched several initiatives which seem to work: In Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, we have set up small therapeutic care units with support, psychologists and social workers. There are about fifty-two in the city “. France is lagging behind in this area.
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