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HEALTH

Paris venue chosen for first drug ‘safe house’

French authorities finally revealed the location of the country's first 'safe house' for drug addicts on Thursday. The centre where users will be able to inject with clean needles and without fear of being arrested is close to Gare du Nord.

Published: 30 May 2013 17:30 CEST
Paris venue chosen for first drug ‘safe house’
File photo: Steven Depolo

Authorities revealed on Thursday that 39, Boulevard de la Chapelle just behind Gare du Nord, in one of the capital's more impoverished neighbourhoods, will be home to the country's first drug 'safe house' for addicts.

Remi Feraud the local Mayor tried to calm fears by insisting the site was “far enough away from residential areas, schools and shops to not pose a serious risk of public disorder.”

It comes after the French Prime Minister’s office confirmed earlier this year the safe zone will open on an experimental basis and will be managed by the "Inter-ministerial mission for the fight against drugs and drug addiction" (Mildt) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.

Drug 'safe houses', referred to in French as “salles de shoot” (shoot-up rooms) are currently illegal in France. They are designed to get vulnerable addicts off the streets and into a safer environment where conditions are more hygienic.

France's Minister for Health, Marisol Touraine announced  last year that the government would be looking to experiment with safe houses for addicts in 2013.

Similar venues are set to open in several other cities across France.

The scheme has provoked an angry response among members of France's opposition UMP party.

In a statement released on Tuesday UMP party secretary Camille Bedin said: "If one of these centres opens up then families living near by will suffer from the scourge of drug trafficking.

“Prevention and punishment are the best means to fight against drugs, not consumption. The government is sending out the message that it tolerates drug trafficking.”

"Addicts need help, not a place to take drugs" – click here to find out what the people of Gare du Nord think about the project.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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