Substance Abuse

Among the marginalized individuals gravitating to railroad areas, substance abusers are a world unto themselves - closed and difficult to penetrate. Their presence frightens the public. There is concern that they might commit crimes (assault, theft) when they are desperate for money to buy drugs.

According to the European Observatory on Drugs and Drug Addiction, drug use in the European Union is responsible for 6,500-9,000 deaths a year (from overdoses). Needle use is often a vehicle for the transmission of infections, through blood exchange, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C. In the European Union there are 2 million illegal drug users, and half of them use needles. The incidence of HIV among needle users fell between 2001 and 2005, but in 2005 it increased to around 3,500 new cases.

Thus there is a need for intervention by law enforcement, which is always present in the railroad environment to control crime. In addition, in many cases, specialized personnel are present. Their job is prevention. They help substance abusers, both to protect them from harm and, if possible, to help them get off drugs.