Munich is fighting against drug abuse: counseling centers for young people have been opened

Munich is fighting against drug abuse: counseling centers for young people have been opened

Things are simmering on many fronts in Munich, and today, August 11, 2025, the events of the last few days are casting their shadows. The focus is particularly on the situation surrounding drug use, which is reaching worrying levels, especially among young people. To counteract this, new advice centers have opened in the city that are specifically aimed at addicted children and young people. This step is urgently needed as the pressure on the youngest people in current society is noticeably increasing. Süddeutsche.de reports that there is a problem with illegal bulky waste, particularly in districts with many needy people, which results in additional costs for residents.

There was recently an incident in Unterföhring that kept the police on their toes. A 40-year-old driver, who was initially in trouble with a broken down BMW, was caught under the influence of drugs during two checks. During the first check in the morning, the officers noticed that the man had symptoms typical of drugs. Despite the warning not to drive any further, his wanderings continued. The second inspection, about two hours later, resulted in further reports - not exactly a brilliant result. The Munich traffic police have started investigating how tz.de reported.

Drugs and their effects

However, the issue of drugs goes far beyond the streets of Munich. A recently released World Drug Report highlights an alarming link between illegal drugs and environmental damage. It is clear that the illegal cultivation of coca, opium poppies and cannabis not only significantly harms people, but also the environment. Marginalized small farmers in the Global South, who are often dependent on this cultivation, are particularly affected. These problems are anything but abstract, as drug cultivation contributes to the expansion of settlements and agricultural areas in protected areas and has to contend with climate change, as shown on foodfortransformation.org can be read.

Growing these drugs requires enormous amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides. The environmental impact is devastating: the CO₂ footprint for producing one kilogram of cocaine is equivalent to driving over 2,300 kilometers by car. A clear indication that drug policy needs not only a social but also an ecological dimension. There are now projects that promote sustainable income alternatives in drug growing areas in order to create legal opportunities. With increasing focus on environmentally friendly practices, this could be the key to solving many problems.

Overall, it appears that the issues of drug use and environmental protection are closely intertwined and require urgent attention. While steps are already being taken in Munich to support the affected groups, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop further. However, one thing seems certain: there is still a lot of work ahead of us, because the challenges are complex and require joint action at all levels.