Despite a recent boom in gentrification, Praga – one of eighteen districts comprising the city of Warsaw, is witnessing an escalating problem with homelessness, street drug use, and drug-related violence. OAT services in Warsaw have been purposefully accumulated in the Praga district, with the aim of concentrating service users in one spot, away from the city centre. People who use drugs in Praga are subject to fear, intimidation and acts of violence, with around 1200 individuals accessing OAT services in Praga alone. An increase in migration in recent years has increased pressure on these services and the profile and needs of service users has changed significantly. Local residents’ discontent and hostility towards people who use drugs has led to opposition against further treatment and harm reduction centres, fueling further support for punitive responses. The report urges policymakers in Warsaw to take drug policy seriously, calling for collaborative efforts that prioritise health, safety, and human rights for people who use drugs.

See also:

• City report – Amsterdam. Shaping the future of drug regulation from the ‘bottom-up’. 
• City report – London. The disproportionate harms of drug prohibition on oppressed peoples. 
• City report – Esch-sur-Alzette. Establishing a drug consumption room in a small-scale city. 
• City report – Bălţi. Violating confidentiality: the disclosure of medical data of people who use drugs.