Associate Professor Ünlü Ali

The challenges of establishing drug consumption rooms in Helsinki and an evidence-based policy design

Tieteellinen tutkimus / siihen pohjautuva työ | Yksivuotinen

According to the latest European Drug Report, the average drug-induced mortality rate among adults in Finland above the European average (53 vs 22 deaths per million) in 2017. Drug consumption rooms are one of the effective intervention tools to reduce overdose deaths and infectious diseases. Helsinki City Council has started an initiative to establish a drug consumption room in the city. This study aims to contribute to the policy transfer process of this intervention. Although the intervention has been already implemented in many countries, policy transfer always requires structural and contextual adjustments. A solution of a country may not fit well to another country’s expectations. Public and stakeholder opinions substantively impact policy decisions and should be considered for the development of harm reduction strategies such as drug consumption rooms. However, little is known in Helsinki, particularly decisions of stakeholders such as the police and government sector. To identify resistances and concerns, a qualitative study will be held by conducting interviews with community stakeholders. Then, the results and outcomes of the previous implementation in other countries will be combined to identify the best evidence-based interventions according to the performance outcomes. The research aims to improve knowledge about the opinions of stakeholders in Finland and to develop an intervention plan tailored for Finnish settings.