Rome, August 27 (LaPresse) – Starting in the coming weeks, the Municipality of Bologna will distribute free crack pipes to users of the substance. This was reported in the local edition of Repubblica. After an initial phase launched a year and a half ago, the project of Palazzo d’Accursio is now entering its active phase as part of a harm reduction strategy. Aluminum pipes for inhaling the cocaine-based drug will be distributed by Asp street workers, and can also be requested at Fuori Binario spaces on Via Carracci. This measure (the cost of 300 pipes is around 3,500 euros) was created to counter the rise in crack users in the city center. According to Ausl data, 518 users were registered as of June 30, including 134 new cases. There were 353 in 2023 and 456 in 2024. “Crack,” explained councilor Matilde Madrid, “remains a substance with serious health effects, and we are aware of that. Harm reduction policies mainly aim to reach these people: 55% are Italian. The experiment has shown that using appropriate tools reduces consumption and secondary pathologies such as bleeding, tracheitis, and infections caused by using improvised and shared materials, which is why we are extending it.” In the same spirit, the Municipality provides drug-checking tests, kits for analyzing substances before consumption.
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