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DRUGS

EXPLAINED: What is Switzerland’s heroin distribution programme?

For the past 27 years, Switzerland has been dispensing heroin to addicts. How does this innovative project work?

EXPLAINED: What is Switzerland’s heroin distribution programme?
A needle exchange package. Image Wikicommons

A stickler for law, order, and rules, Switzerland can’t be called “unorthodox”. And yet, when it comes to certain aspects of its drug policy, the country has proven to be quite liberal and innovative. 

This description concerns specifically its pioneering heroin-assisted treatment program (HAT), which consists of supplying pure, industrially produced heroin under medical supervision to a limited number of addicts.

Why did Switzerland implement the HAT project?

The origins of the programme go back to the 1980s and early 1990s, when Zurich’s Platzspitz park was a notorious open drug scene. As addicts used to congregate there and inject drugs in full view, the site became known as a ‘Needle Park’.

Drug scene at Platzspitz. Photo by Stadt Zürich

As the number of drug overdose deaths and HIV rates climbed, officials recognised that repression was not effective in stopping the most hardened heroin users.

Instead, they decided to include prescription heroin as a “therapeutic measure for individuals with a severe heroin addiction”, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Since 1994, HAT consists “of the strictly regulated and controlled administration of diacetylmorphine [heroin], accompanied by medical and psychosocial care. In the light of the positive results obtained, it was adopted as a therapeutic measure”, FOPH said.

André Seidenberg, a Zurich doctor who participated in the government’s heroin trials, told The Local that by adopting this pragmatic approach, “Switzerland has overcome hypocrisy and offered a safe and adequate supply of heroin to addicts, without moralising”.

READ MORE: Cannabis: What are the rules in Switzerland?

What is the goal of the programme?

Originally, it was meant to keep addicts off the streets and reduce crime.

But the programme goes beyond that. The government convened expert scientific and ethical advisory bodies to devise an alternative to “zero-tolerance” drug policies practiced elsewhere, focusing instead on prevention, harm reduction, medical care and counselling for the most severely dependent addicts, and eventually their reintegration into society.

As FOPH explains it, HAT’s goal is “to improve the physical and mental health of those affected and promote their social integration; to facilitate low-risk use and create the conditions for permanent abstinence; to distance those affected from the illegal drug scene and prevent crime associated with the supply of drugs”.

READ MORE: Drugs and alcohol: Just how much do the Swiss consume?

However, since strict supervision is required, the programme is only open to a small number of addicts: in 2019 — the last year for which data is available —1,700 people received this treatment in 22 specialist outpatient centres and one prison.

This covers only about eight percent of addicts, according to FOPH.

Who is eligible for the HAT programme?

The selection criteria is strict: FOPH considers only those with severe heroin dependency for at least two years who have had at least two unsuccessful treatment attempts, and who display physical, mental or social consequences of drug use.

For those who are not part of the HAT programme, several Swiss cities offer safe and clean ‘injection centres’ with sterile material and trained staff.

Has the HAT programme been successful?

FOPH says it has been a success. 

“The results show clearly a constant improvement in the addicted individuals’ mental and physical health, as well as in their social situation. Crime levels have also been reduced”.

The programme has been “the main game changer in Switzerland’s drug policy”, Seidenberg pointed out.

“Since a quarter of a century drug addicts live a normal life in Switzerland, with nearly normal life expectancies, and almost no more deaths from AIDS or overdose”, he added.

How does the public feel about this programme?

As HAT is government-run — that is, funded by taxpayers — it was necessary that Swiss public be on board before the project could get off the ground.

In a 1997 referendum, 70.6 percent of voters turned down proposals from conservative groups to scrap the government’s liberal policy on illegal drug use.

And in 2008, when it was time to renew the heroin distribution program, 68 percent of voters approved its continuation, because they saw it as an effective way to keep addicts off the streets and reduce crime.

Do other countries have similar programmes?

While in the 1990s Switzerland was a trailblazer in heroin distribution, since then a handful of other countries, including the UK, the Netherlands, as well as Canada and Australia, copied the concept, adjusting it to their own requirements.

Last but not least: what happened to Zurich’s Platzspitz?

It morphed from the needle and garbage-strewn drug hub to a clean recreational area popular with Zurich families.

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ZURICH

How much does a Zurich city break cost in 2024?

As Swiss cities go, Zurich is the complete package: Not only is it the country’s economic and cultural capital, but its location on the lake of the same name, the River Limmat, and the nearby Uetliberg make it a great natural beauty. The question is, how much does it cost to visit?

How much does a Zurich city break cost in 2024?

Using a weekend city trip as a yardstick, The Local looked at the average costs of a visit to Zurich, factoring in accommodation, dining, public transport and sightseeing. 

Accommodation

Based on data from the online booking platform trip.com, the average price for a hotel room per night in Zurich in 2024 is 149 francs – roughly €157. 

Of course, this greatly depends on the level of comfort you’re looking for. 

A room in a popular budget hotel near the central train station, like Hotel Bristol, can run as low as 47 francs / €50 per night for a private room. 

On the other end of the scale, a room in a luxury hotel like the iconic Hotel Storchen starts at around 547 francs / €574. 

For a two-night stay in the city, budget around 350 francs / €370 – assuming you have two people sharing.

Dining

According to the crowdsourced travel information site Budgetyourtrip.com, the average meal in Zurich costs around 24 francs / €26.

Again, this depends on what you’re looking for. Hitting up a popular street food spot like Sternen Grill will cost you around 16 francs / €15 for a Bratwurst in a roll with mustard and a drink.

Conversely, you could splurge on a Michelin-star restaurant like La Rotisserie, part of the Hotel Storchen, and spend 300 francs / €315 per person. 

For a two-night stay in Zurich, expect to pay 156 francs / €163 per person to eat. 

READ ALSO: Nine Zurich life hacks to make you feel like a local

Public Transport 

Thankfully, Zurich is serviced by an excellent public transport network, and getting around couldn’t be easier. 

It may also be the easiest part to budget for your Zürich city trip. 

The Zürich Card offers unlimited 2nd class travel on all buses, trains, boats, funicular railways and other forms of public transport in the Zürich region. 

A 24-hour pass costs 29 francs / €30.41, while a 72-hour pass costs 56 francs / €58.74.

For two nights in Zürich, it’ll cost you about 56 francs / €58.74 per person to get around the city. 

Sightseeing 

What you spend on sightseeing in Zurich can be the most variable part of your budget, depending on what you want to see. 

Strolling around the Old Town and Lake Zurich and visiting historic churches such as the Grossmünster and Fraumünster are free. 

A trip up the Uetliberg is also free, as you can take a tram covered by your public transport ticket.

You could also visit such museums as the Landesmuseum Zürich (13 francs / €13.63), the Swiss Finance Museum (10 francs / €10.49 ), the FIFA Museum (26 francs / €27.27 ) and the Lindt Home of Chocolate (15 francs / €15.73).

Gallery offerings include the Kunsthaus Zürich (24 francs / €25.17 ), the Kunsthalle Zürich (12 francs / €12.58) and the Pavilion Le Corbusier (12 francs / €12.58). 

It’s important to note that some museums and galleries offer free entry with the Zurich Card – it’s worth checking at the ticket counter. 

Enjoying a boat trip on Lake Zurich is really worth your while, and a cruise with a vessel operated by the ZVV  will cost 44.60 francs / €44.76 for first class and 27 francs / €28,32 for second class,

READ ALSO: Five beautiful Swiss villages located less than an hour from Zurich

Suppose you operate on the assumption that you might see two museums daily and take a boat cruise during your trip. 

Budgeting 120 francs / €125.85 per person, is not unreasonable in that case. 

From the Uetliberg there are stunning views across Lake Zurich and the city. Photo: Stux / Pixabay

And in the end…? 

With some quick back-of-the-napkin maths, if you’re a couple expecting to spend two to three nights in Zurich, you can expect to pay around 1,062 francs / €1114.

While not the cheapest European destination, it’s more than made up for by natural beauty in scoops, a treasure trove of art, culture and history, and some of central Europe’s best dining. 

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