Decoding the mechanisms of drug addiction in Liège:
A Look at the City and its Dependencies
The Story:
The phenomenon of drug addiction in Liège is not recent, and it has grown tremendously over the past three decades. This can be partly explained by the city's geographical proximity to the Netherlands (about twenty kilometers to the border and another ten to Maastricht), from where heroin comes. Heroin that is cheap: it sells in Liège for 7 to 10 euros per 0.4-gram dose. It is also driven by the appeal of the city's anonymity for consumers
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Since the 1990s, public authorities have taken action. In Liège, local and provincial officials, law enforcement, the judiciary, the medical community, and local associations have come together to create a strategic and human-focused policy. Some have opted to move away from purely punitive measures, while others have worked to establish support, reception, and care facilities.
Belgium's first pilot projects have been launched, such as the controlled distribution of medical heroin (Tadam), positioning Liège as a pioneering and proactive city in tackling drug addiction. The mayor is also actively advocating for the opening of a consumption room.
"The solution is multifaceted, as it often is with a major problem. There are several responses that will break down the issue, reduce its impact, and eventually eliminate it. Syringe distribution is an example: the measure is necessary, but the real issue is the product. A solution I particularly favor: opening an integrated center, a consumption room with basic socio-medical services, which would be one component among others. I will find the municipal budget to make it happen."
E-Bis
Launched in January 2011 by the Start Mass reception center and funded by local public authorities, this initiative was unique in Belgium. The reception is unconditional. Users are only required to provide a name and date of birth (whether real or fake, it doesn’t matter) to access the e-bis services. These include syringe distribution, injection equipment, condoms, aluminum foil for smoking heroin (“or 'crack,' as they call it,” says Ali), as well as disease prevention (HIV, hepatitis) and referrals for those seeking help to appropriate facilities, such as shelters or rehabilitation centers.
Opened in 2018, in the heart of Liège, the consumption room (SCMR) recorded a total of 20,783 visits in 2021, of which 15,734 (76%) were for drug consumption. The remaining visits, which have increased since the pandemic, relate to the provision of other services (medical, nursing, harm reduction, wellness, social, etc.). The average number of daily visits in 2021 was 58.
Following management issues, the future of the new consumption room was threatened, but the government has surprised many by announcing the resumption of activities at the low-risk consumption room, along with a funding allocation of one million euros for the project in 2025.