Purpose of the drug use rooms is to reduce health damage and overdoses among hard drug users and reduce nuisance for the neighborhood. The use rooms are connected to walk-in centres of De Regenboog Groep, an organization dedicated to helping highly vulnerable people in Amsterdam.
Use rooms are an important link in Dutch drug policy. The spaces are shielded locations, mostly in addiction treatment facilities, where users can use their self-purchased drugs under the supervision of trained staff. The use rooms are mainly used by those who have no other (safe) place to use their drugs. Through distribution of syringes and other materials, the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C, is prevented and overdoses are prevented.
Not on the streets
.The visitors to the spaces are happy with the current facilities. Reasons for visiting a use space are: not wanting to use on the street, homelessness, contact with social services and making social contacts. The age of visitors ranges from 25 to 67 years old.
Ramon Struisvlugt, 67, is a visitor from the first hour of use space Blaka Watra. "It's either use here under supervision or be hunted down on the street and use. On the street you get totally bred. Since I come to this use space, I've been doing relatively well."
Conrad Kockert, location head and responsible for use space Blaka Watra: "It's a win-win situation for everyone, the neighborhood experiences less nuisance, the drug users are less hunted and healthier, you have more visibility on them and can offer help faster which means things don't derail as much." In 15 years, there was not a single overdose.
The first drug use rooms
The very first use rooms were in help facilities, such as the Amsterdam living room project HUK, the Pauluskerk and Perron Nul in Rotterdam, where personal use was tolerated and sometimes facilitated. In the mid-1990s, use spaces became part of official national policy and became professional facilities.
Since 1998, the Regenboog has had two supervised use facilities. Due to the success of the use rooms, expansion took place. Currently, De Regenboog Groep has three user spaces, one at the Blaka Watra location near Central Station, one in walk-in centre AMOC and one on the ramparts at location Princehof on Oudezijds Voorburgwal.
Cooperation
.Commissioned by the European Harm Reduction Network and in collaboration with the University of Lancaster, De Regenboog Groep is conducting research into the effectiveness of spaces of use. This involves looking at health, lifestyle and environmental effects from the perspective of users, professionals and local residents.
The phenomenon of use spaces has been adopted by Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada and Australia.