The statistics have been stable but remain well above the expected figures, as the initial estimate was to support 200 individuals by the end of the year. “At the year’s end, we had 1,000 users,” stated Paulo Lopes, president of Ares do Pinhal.
Launched in September 2023, the project currently experiences about 350 daily visits from individuals who use the facility to have tea, shower, access the internet, obtain information on personal and public health, undergo screenings for infectious diseases, receive medical and psychosocial consultations, as well as utilize supervised consumption rooms.
Four years following the establishment of this service, approximately 3,200 individuals are registered, with 20% of them experiencing homelessness and facing significant challenges in accessing accommodation spaces due to overcrowding in Lisbon, which contributes to a heightened sense of insecurity within the community.
The monthly statistics for the project account for 721 different users (visiting the facility), 6,113 total entries (all visitations), 4,355 smoked episodes, and 1,113 intravenous episodes, with heroin being the most commonly smoked substance and Heroin+Cocaine the most commonly injected.
The service, predominantly attended by men (87%), records over 6,000 syringe exchanges, 30 medical consultations, 150 medication therapies, and over fifty wound dressings each month, along with screenings for HIV and hepatitis.
The program receives support from the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies (ICAD) and 20% funding from the Lisbon City Council, which provides 23,000 euros monthly to Ares do Pinhal to develop the project.
The association has highlighted the necessity for increased support in the next bid for the project, which is expected to open in August, to recruit more technical support teams for users and to update salaries in response to inflation.
The objective of SAI is to promote the dignity and health education of individuals with addictive behaviors, prevent overdoses, reduce physical health risks and damage, and promote public health by contributing to the reduction of infectious disease transmission.
The supervised drug consumption rooms, both for smoking and injection, aim to allow individuals with dependencies to consume substances in dignified and hygienic conditions, establish connections to health and social services, and potentially connect to treatment.
