Safe facility for drug users saves over 120 lives

Marking a year since the opening of Greece’s first drug consumption room (DCR), a facility where addicts can use safely in a supervised environment, the Organization Against Drugs (OKANA) on Thursday said that more than 120 lives have been saved thanks to the initiative.

In a press release, OKANA said that 69 possible overdoses were prevented thanks to the supervision of the specialized personnel of the Athens DCR, while in 56 cases where overdoses did occur, Naloxone was administered and the effects were reversed.

In the past year, the facility has helped 987 users over nearly 10,700 visits, OKANA said. The staff at the DCR has also responded to almost double that number of visits for other services such as providing basic healthcare, counseling, food, clothing and assistance for accessing other resources like shelters, support programs or rehabilitation facilities.