Frankfurt fights against crack - drug remains hotspot in the Bahnhofsviertel!

Frankfurt fights against crack - drug remains hotspot in the Bahnhofsviertel!

In the heart of Frankfurt, around the main train station, things are simmering. The area has become a hotspot for drug addiction and crime over the years. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, significant progress in the fight against these challenges has unfortunately been wiped out. Particularly alarming: the consumption of crack cocaine has increased sharply. This often makes the situation intolerable for residents, business people and those affected themselves. This problem not only attracts people from Frankfurt, but also consumers from all over southern Germany. According to faz.net, the conditions in the district are not easy to endure for everyone involved.

An impressive phenomenon is that, according to the social affairs department, around every second drug user in Frankfurt does not come from the city, and a third of the addicts even come from other federal states. To counter this, the city of Frankfurt has introduced various measures, including raids and a weapons ban zone. However, visible improvements often do not equate to a solution to the crack problem. Social affairs officer Elke Voitl (Greens) has already determined a location for a help center for crack addicts, where offers of help, overnight accommodation and consumption rooms will be provided.

Political disputes and new paths

But these plans are not without controversy. The decision on the new location will be made at the city council meeting at the beginning of July. Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) is seen as the driving force behind the “paradigm change”: drug users from outside the country should be turned away. A new direction that aims to reduce drug tourism and create a support network between communities to spread the burden of drug relief across more shoulders. However, the coalition partners, the FDP and the Greens, are not happy with the previous proposals. An open letter from property owners and business representatives in the Bahnhofsviertel reflects the uncertainty about the targeted addiction help center.

This calls for a thorough evaluation of the planned location for the center. It shouldn't just be about turning away addicts from outside the country, but also about ensuring that they don't end up on the streets. Residents are increasingly concerned about noise and garbage, while business people fear a possible decline in sales. Police Chief Stefan Müller has also spoken out and demands that no support be provided to people from other federal states in the drug help centers.

Drug help under pressure

A look at the numerical situation shows that around 200 addicts can be observed in the open drug scene, while around 3,000 use consumption rooms where the conditions are controlled. 44% of users live in Frankfurt itself, 27% from other cities in Hesse, while the rest travel from other federal states. The city is planning an integrated drug and addiction help center that not only offers rooms for crack smoking, but also offers medical and therapeutic help as well as sleeping places. This new approach could also serve to fundamentally defuse the “drug problem”, as hessenschau.de reports.

The situation is indeed tense, not only for those affected, but also for the city. There are currently four drug consumption rooms in Frankfurt, but concerns that foreign addicts will have to be turned away pose new challenges for the authorities. In Frankfurt, where the first official consumption room in Germany was opened in 1994, the aim is to create a model that is based on the experiences of international role models, such as Zurich, where drug help is regulated by law.

So what's going on in Frankfurt's drug policy? Future decisions could be crucial for how the city deals with addicts and drug users. It is clear that a balanced approach is necessary that takes equal account of the needs of residents and the situation of addicts. In view of the different interests and the urgent problem, it is to be hoped that the responsible politicians will find a good hand in finding a solution - and, above all, that the quality of life in the station district can soon be improved.