Watch our new video and take action – urge the Swedish government to provide access to needle exchange in Stockholm NOW!<\/p>\n
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In the second sequel of our serial about the dark side of Swedish drug policy (watch the previous one here<\/a>) we present you the life of a Swedish heroin user, Janne. We produced this movie in cooperation with the Swedish Drug Users’ Union<\/a>. In a society that is still intoxicated by the utopia of a drug-free world, to be a drug user is like to be an outcast, feared and rejected by \u201cnormal people\u201d. It is quite easy to get into abstinence-based treatment (12 steps), but to enter a methadone maintenance program is hard, and even after you are in you may often face negative attitudes from the health care staff. Altough a few years ago the government adopted a new law that allows needle exchange in the country, there is still no access to sterile needles and syringes in the capital. After reviewing the evidence in hundreds of scientific studies, the relevant bodies of the UN (WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS) concluded that needle and syringe exchange programs are effective in reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS \u2013 but they do not generate more drug use.<\/p>\n