Facts about drug addiction in Park City

The Street Magazine
In this park 140 people have died as a result of overdose during the last ten years. During the four first months this year the medical ambulant service have treated 150 fall over overdoses in the park. This is an increase of 44 times the number at the same period last year. The need for Medical Assisted Rehabilitation (MAR) for heroin users are the double of what can be offered. While waiting for treatment the drug addicts have to use illigal drugs. Injection rooms cannot take the place for MAR or other treatments, but to day we leave the drug addicts to themselves and indignities conditions.

Our interview today is with Johnny who has been "living" in the park for many years. His story is not unique, but as he says: "there are many here in the park in the same situation and with the same background as me".

I'm 44 years old and since I was 13 when I started to use speed. I was introduced to the stuff by some older boys and I was tempted to try what they did. I was a problematic kid, did a lot of things that caused med and others trouble and I nobody managed to help me with my problems. I left school very early and have a lot of breaks in my education. I was an undiagnosed ADHD-kid and the speed made me calmer and more focused. However since I had to get the drug illigal it also caused me trouble. I tried to work for a while, but the drugs made me unstable and I did not have enough confidence in myself to go back when I did not turn up after a week without any medical certificate. I think that when I was working I did a good job.

Without any job the money I received from the social office could not cover my need for living and drug abuse and I started to steel and even to prostitute myself. As you probalby have understood I ended in prisson, and have been there several times. I have tried to quit the drug, but did not get proper treatment and I'm not very optimistic any longer. You know - you always have the hope - the dream of having a normal life without the constant struggle for the next doses, but it is so hard to quit.

The park is in a way as a home for me. It is here I meet my friends every day and we understand each other, even though there can be some fights sometimes. I think that the neighbours should be happy that we do not cause more harm than we do. I don't think there has been any steeling from their flats, but of course they can be annoyed by people pissing in their gardens and setting their needles.

I'm really curious about how the authorities are going to solve what they find problematic with this Needle Hill. I welcome them to talk to us.
Johnny (interviewed by the Street Magazine)
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