Drug representative Streeck demands drug-checking: “Protects life”

The Federal Government’s addiction and drug representative, Hendrik Streeck (CDU), has spoken out for a state drug checking- i.e. the chemical analysis of drugs before consumption.

“Drug checking protects life because this consumes less drugs with dangerous admixtures,” said Streeck of the “Time” (Thursday). “That’s why I greet it when cities like Berlin enable drug checking,” said Streeck.

The drug representative thus opposed the general line of his party: the Union majority rejects the state -financed review of drugs.

The authorities also benefited from drug checking because they learn “which drugs are currently in circulation on the streets,” said the virologist. “So far we have no good monitoring and warning system, which annoys me very much as a scientist.”

Also, only a fraction of the drug dead are autopsied, so that often it does not become clear what the person concerned has died. “However, drug checking is also very expensive, a substance tested costs an average of 60 euros,” said Streeck.

The federal drug officer is particularly concerned about the leaking increase in deaths in connection with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. In Germany, 2137 people died of the consequences of their drug use last year. That was 90 less than in the previous year.