Bericht 2013 des nationalen REITOX-Knotenpunkts an die EBDD ...

In 2012, 944 people died as a result of the use of illegal drugs. This represented a further
reduction in comparison to the previous year (986) and is the lowest number of drug-related
deaths in the past 24 years. For a breakdown of the causes of death, a revised table was
used in 2012 for the first time, which reduces multiple counting and itemises more
substances. Due to this change in data recording, comparability with previous years is partly
limited. However, it can be concluded that overdosing on heroin/morphine (including the
consumption of heroin/morphine in connection with other drugs), amounting to 427 cases,
was once more the most common cause of death (45 %).
Responses to health correlates and consequences
A variety of measures are intended to help avoid drug-related emergencies and deaths and
prevent infectious diseases. Currently in Germany there are a total of 23 in-patient drug
consumption rooms in 15 cities in six Laender and a mobile drug consumption unit. Needles
can be exchanged in many drug support facilities, and there are also over 160 needle
dispensing machines, which are form part of the harm reduction measures for injecting drug
users. There are a variety of facilities and projects that use offers of low-threshold testing and
other prevention and safer-use programmes to raise awareness of infectious diseases
among their clientele and to motivate them to engage in health promoting behaviour. The
treatment of infectious diseases, in particular hepatitis C, has become an issue among drug
users in recent years, and studies show time and again that under certain conditions these
populations can and should also be effectively treated.
Social correlates and social reintegration
The social situation of many patients in the help system, especially in low-threshold facilities,
is still precarious. The life of many addicts continues to be strongly marked by
homelessness, lack of regular employment and low income that is not least caused by a low
level of education.
Several regional model projects are designed in particular to tackle the problem of
unemployment and promote cooperation between addiction support, rehabilitation clinics and
the working groups formed by the employment agencies and the municipalities (the so-called
Jobcenter). Their aim is to help unemployed addicts into therapy at an early stage and to
support their (re-)integration into the world of work.
Drug-related crime, prevention of drug-related crime and prison
In 2012, a total of about 237,000 drugs offences were recorded, of which around 173,000
were general breaches of the Narcotics Act (BtMG) and about 45,000 were for dealing in
drugs. Overall, this means that drugs offences remained stable in comparison to the previous
year (+0.3 %), which is on one hand due to a clear decrease in dealing offences (-6.7 %),
and on the other hand is the result of a clear rise in both illegal importation offences (-5.1 %)
and other offences (+4.9 %).
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