Community action in drug policy: The key to pragmatic measures? - Heroin overdose as impulse for a community prevention program in Switzerland

Heroin overdose was an important issue in the nineties in Switzerland and d rug related problems - especially open drug scenes - constituted a major pr oblem for cities. At that time harm reduction was being introduced on large r scale in the urban context to reduce public health problems and to regula te public order. However, ideological barriers to this approach remained im portant in sub-urban areas. As a consequence, in one of these areas - a lar ge valley in the south of the country (traditionally based on abstinence an d inpatient treatment) - an intervention then focused on the community. It was set up to cover different aspects of the drug problem: information, inc rease the feeling of responsibility for community matters and solidarity-bu ilding with drug users. One of the longterm effects of this program on loca l drug policy and the community is that a former harm reduction unfriendly area has now integrated some basic pragmatic measures. We discuss the stren gths and weaknesses of the program, the extent to which a community program can reduce resistance to harm reduction approaches and can even be the key to their acceptance.