After Vienna and Innsbruck, there has also been the option of having drugs checked for quality in Graz since Monday. For those responsible, the project is a great success because it minimizes the risks for addicts.
Between 750 and 800 addicts live in Graz alone. Many of them go in and out of the Caritas contact shop on Orpheumgasse: “As a central point of contact for drug users, we register about 10,000 contacts per year. There is no typical person affected, but according to my estimate and experience, about two-thirds are male and between 35 and 40 years old,” says Harald Ploder, Caritas contact shop and outreach worker.
Alcohol content transparent
The 38-year-old has been working in the industry for a long time – he describes the new drug analysis service, which was created in collaboration with the state, city, health fund and the University of Graz, as a “really big hit” : “Everyone out there buy one in the supermarket When you buy a bottle of beer, you know exactly what alcohol content you can expect. This does not apply to users of other addictive substances, which sometimes entails great dangers”, Ploder tries to explain the benefits for those affected .
In addition to minimizing damage and risks, the new project called “Triptalks” focuses on a different topic: “The chemical analysis of drugs for their ingredients and their purity helps to get an overview of the drug use situation in Styria. said Martin. Schmid, scientific supervisor of the project of the University of Graz.
According to the pharmacist, the number of new medicines worldwide has risen sharply over the past 15 years: “Often little or nothing is known about the effects and side effects. A lot of people think that because they can order something online, it wouldn’t be dangerous, which of course isn’t true,” explains Schmid.
Enlighten instead of just punish
“It is still a relatively new approach to how a society deals with the problem of drug use,” added Councilor Robert Krotzer during the project presentation on Monday. However, empirical values from other countries and cities would clearly argue in favor of not only punishing, but clarifying and seeking dialogue: “Studies show that after the introduction of drug-control offers, there is a decline in consumption,” says Krotzer.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
