A minute of silent commemoration, the Austrian addiction aid organizations* on July 21 are devoted to the many people who died after drug use. The latest available statistics for Austria shows a new sad maximum value of the past ten years for 2023 with 256 directly drug -related deaths. “This high number makes it clear that there is still a great need for action,” said the representatives of the organizations*. It is essential to recognize addiction as a disease in order to improve prevention and care and to have a effect against discrimination against people with addiction.
Austria -wide silence
On July 21st at 4:00 p.m., addiction help* from Bregenz to Vienna will commemorate their late clients with a minute’s silence. In Graz the commemoration takes place in the main square. The common memory should draw attention to their fate. “But it is also a question of putting the course for improved addiction aid politically and socially,” says Harald Ploder, head of Caritas contact shop and streetwork in the drug area in Graz.
Disease, not weakness
Search to see as an illness and not as a personal weakness is the prerequisite for a variety of measures that enable people with addiction to seek a human and long life – free of stigmatization and discrimination. It is about providing tailor-made harm-reduction offers, sufficient medical care and psychosocial accompaniment, as well as offers that enable re-entry into working life.
Important approaches already realized
Crucial approaches have already been realized in many federal states: In some federal states, there are the possibility for consumers of psychoactive substances, addictive samples on ingredients and active ingredient content. The so -called drug checking/ substance analysis has proven to be an important instrument for reducing risks and damage. “It is gratifying that two more federal states will soon be added with Upper Austria and Carinthia!” Says Thomas Labacher, business field manager at Pro Mente Upper Austria.
Housing supply up to therapy options
Dominik Ziegler and Matthias Waldhart, management team of the Mentlvilla emergency sleeping center in Innsbruck, emphasize how important the uncomplicated living supply of homeless addicts is: “We not only offer people a place to sleep, but also understanding of their situation and specialized help”. Low -threshold contact points with syringe exchange are at least in some cities, but hardly in the rural regions. If the desire to end drug use, you can contact different therapy facilities, but it must be expected with long waiting times.
Financing and accessibility
On the commemoration day, the organizations are calling for those responsible in the countries and in the federal government to secure and expand existing offers. It would be desirable to create comprehensive accessibility that is financially secured in the long term: “The current financing of many projects with renewed contracts annually creates uncertainty – it takes stable, sustainable financing,” said the representatives of the organizations in unison. It is also important to further expand offers that start at different points:
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Drug checking: have substances analyzed on ingredients and active ingredient content
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Take-Home Naloxone: Availability of naloxone to prevent fatal overdoses
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Specialized emergency sleeping points: Adapted accommodations for addicted people
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Safer-use offers: Measures to be minimized by consuming risk
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Low -threshold access to medical and psychosocial care: simple contact points for consuming
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Employment offers: structures for professional (re) integration
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Offers for people in need of care with addiction, adapting the care facilities to the needs of addicted people
Action day in Graz on July 21st
In Graz, the Caritas team will commemorate the Caritas contact shop on July 21 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the main square of the deceased. The employees offer a space of exchange for relatives and interested parties. Information material, interlocutors and representatives of addiction aid are ready to clarify and create awareness. Similar actions take place, for example, in Vienna, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck or Wels.
Caritas contact shop: low -threshold addiction help in Graz
The contact shop as well as the excessive street social work (street work) and individual social workers form the three load-bearing pillars of Caritas Addiction Aid. The facility pursues an acceptance -oriented approach to support those affected as best as possible and reduce health risks in the long term.
International Memorial Day
From the perspective of the organizations, the international commemoration day is an important step towards social rethinking – but to real die -down and improving the situation of addicted people, a consistent development of the existing structures is needed.
* For the common memory of deceased drug use on July 21st, merged:
Anton Proksch Institute – API Treffpunkt 1050
Bas Styrian Society for Addiction Questions
Caritas of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau
Caritas Vorarlberg – Department of Addiction Work
Roof association of outpatient addiction help institutions Styria
do it yourself Bludenz
Dialogue – individual addiction help
Drug working group Tyrol
Drug advice Viva & Drug Streetwork of the City of Klagenfurt a. Ws.
Gabarage Manufacture – Association for the sustainable solution of social, ecological and social challenges
Circle of Parent Vienna
House R3, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Vienna
Hilfswerk Steiermark GmbH, psychosocial services
IKA- interdisciplinary contact and contact point Graz
Searches per mente Upper Austria business area
PSN Psychosocial Network Community GmbH
Psychosocial Service Burgenland – Social Services Burgenland
Social Association B37
Substance – Association for Addictive Aid
Addiction counseling Caritas of the Diocese of St. Pölten
Addiction counseling and addiction prevention of the city of Wels
Addiction counseling Obersteiermark
Addiction aid Salzburg
Addiction aid Vienna
Swiss house Hadersdorf