As Australia continues to grapple with the complex issue of drug policy, Copenhagen’s safe injection rooms have been at the forefront of harm reduction strategies, offering supervised, hygienic environments where drug users can inject safely. These facilities have not only reduced overdose deaths but have also curbed the spread of infectious diseases and decreased drug use in public spaces.
By Luna Thomsen, Elisha Walker and Ona Canales
As Australia’s political debate over supervised injection sites persists, Copenhagen’s approach to harm reduction may offer valuable insight. The Danish capital is home to two prominent safe injection facilities, H17 and Skyen, which have significantly reduced overdose deaths and, to a great extent, removed hard drug use away from the streets.
A life-saving facility
Located in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, H17 and Skyen, run by the local organisation Mændenes Hjem (The Men’s Home), provide the largest drug consumption facilities in Scandinavia. Opened in 2012 and expanded in 2016, these facilities operate 24/7, offering a supervised, hygienic environment where drug users can inject safely.
The facility serves up to 1,000 people daily, with trained healthcare professionals on hand to intervene in case of overdoses. They also provide sterile equipment, reducing the spread of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
Since opening, the staff have responded to over 1,500 overdoses, and no deaths have occurred within the facilities, according to facility manager Rasmus Koberg Christensen.
Dignity, health, and safety
These facilities represent the Danish model of harm reduction, emphasising dignity, health, and safety for people struggling with addiction. The facilities have been credited with reducing open drug use in public areas, improving the quality of life for users, and easing the burden on emergency services and law enforcement.
According to Christensen, the success of H17 and Skyen is due to a larger system of support and services aimed at drug users.
“Our safe injection rooms are part of a much bigger system of support for the users, including housing, treatment, access to hygienic equipment, legal assistance, and healthcare support. It is the combination of all these efforts that determines whether or not you have an effective system for managing hard drug use in your community,” Christensen explains.
Should Australia look to the Danish model?
In Australia, the future of safe injection sites remains hotly debated. The country’s first facility, located in North Richmond, Melbourne, has seen significant public health successes since its launch in 2018, including a reduction in overdoses and greater access to healthcare for drug users.
Despite these achievements, opposition to expanding similar sites remains strong. Critics argue that resources should focus solely on treatment, and they raise concerns about crime rates and the potential normalisation of drug use.
Local and political support
When the facilities in Copenhagen first opened in 2012, Christensen and his colleagues faced many of the same criticisms, including claims that safe injection rooms would make life with hard drugs easier and more accessible.
“First of all, we need to understand that none of this is easy. A life with hard drugs is never easy. The alternative is that these people are injecting in the streets, putting themselves and local residents at great risk,” he says.
According to a 2018 report by the European Union Drug Agency, there is no evidence to suggest that safe injection rooms should increase drug use, frequency of injecting, or drug related crimes, and the report states that the safe injection room facilitate treatment rather than delaying it.
Further investment into harm reduction
Once a controversial initiative, Copenhagen’s safe injection rooms now enjoys strong political support due to their proven effectiveness. By 2025, the city will open its first women-only safe injection room, further expanding its harm reduction efforts.
The above article is written for an Australian news outlet, and with an Australian reader in mind.