The Hessian State Government Plans to Allow Drug Checking in Frankfurt's Drug Consumption Rooms, But Only for Severely Addicted Users

A new regulation is intended to create the legal framework for the practice, according to the state's health ministry. The draft regulation is currently in the consultation phase. Drug checking involves analyzing substances brought in by users to determine their ingredients.

This can reveal, for example, particularly high concentrations or dangerous adulterants. The nationwide Narcotics Act (Betäubungsmittelgesetz) provides for this possibility, but federal states must create the conditions for pilot projects through their own legal regulations. The city of Frankfurt has long demanded such a measure.

Now the state of Hesse wants to clear the way, albeit on a limited scale. "It is planned that substance analysis will be offered in existing drug consumption rooms and linked to personal counseling, the health ministry announced. Health Minister Diana Stolz (CDU) struck a cautionary note: "There is no such thing as safe drug use. She added that drug checking is not an end in itself and certainly not a government seal of approval for drugs.