"Luckily they're here": Like Spyke, hundreds of drug users frequent the Halte soins addictions (HSA) in Strasbourg, one of only two shooting galleries in France, whose future is uncertain.
Created in 2016, these places where people can consume drugs under supervision are aimed at the most disadvantaged people and those far removed from the healthcare system. The experiment is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
Concerned, the NGO Médecins du Monde announced in mid-April that it was taking the State to court for "inaction" in order to ensure the system continues.
In Strasbourg, where an international conference on this highly sensitive subject is being held on June 18, uncertainty is causing anxiety among caregivers and users.
"There is no visibility today on the sustainability of things," regrets Gauthier Waeckerlé, director of the Ithaque association, which looks after the Argos hall, frequented by around 800 people.
"Every year, new people come. It's a place where they can not only consume safely, but also meet professionals and begin treatment," he explains.
In the event of closure, the latter "would have no other choice but to consume in public spaces, and therefore there would inevitably be an impact on the environment and public peace... not to mention, of course, all our employee colleagues who have been involved in these measures for nine years."
– “I consume less”-
Discreetly located within the university hospitals, with no nearby residents, Argos is open every afternoon, 365 days a year.
Cocaine, fentanyl, heroin... In the consumption room, several people inject narcotics, or inhale them, under the supervision of professionals who provide the appropriate sterile equipment.
Behind a screen, Spyke, 41, injects cocaine.
The forty-year-old with tattooed arms has been benefiting for several months from one of the 20 shelters. Created in 2021, they allow homeless people, who stay there for an average of nine months, to begin treatment and find housing.
"I've been consuming less since I've been here," says Spyke.
"Outside, there's nothing else to do but consume. Here, I stay in my room, in peace. There are days when I don't consume at all," he assures, explaining that he has also started treating hepatitis C.
Around forty people work at Argos. They offer screenings, consultations with doctors or psychiatrists, and assistance with accessing legal rights.
"Without them, I wouldn't have been able to do all my work; they're behind us, pushing us, motivating us... luckily they're there," says Spyke.
– “A break” –
Among the regulars is Christophe, 50, even though he has stopped using drugs: "Before, I came to do drugs. Now that I've stopped using drugs, I come to pass the time."
Outside the building, in the garden, there are several seats inviting you to relax. A vegetable garden has been created.
“This is a break, a place of rest where you can talk and confide in people who are listening.”
According to him, this room "is very important for users, and for those who want to quit."
At Argos, you can meet social workers, have coffee, and participate in activities. In the hallway, on a colorful board, someone has written: "We are happy to announce that we are still alive."
"We can't imagine closing a place like that," confides Alexandre Feltz, deputy mayor and addiction specialist. "It would mean dozens of people who are there, housed and cared for, who would have to be left to die in public spaces."
– “Very broad agreement” –
In Strasbourg, the system enjoys "very broad agreement across the political spectrum," Mr. Feltz emphasizes.
Several studies, including one published by Inserm in 2021, attest to the usefulness of “addiction care centers.”
In a report dated October 2024, the Igas recommends "perpetuating" the Paris and Strasbourg rooms and "incorporating addiction treatment centers into common law" to allow others to be opened.
While there are approximately 80 such structures in Europe, several projects have failed in France, such as in Marseille. The latter was nevertheless approved by various health stakeholders, including the Regional Health Agency and the AP-HM.
"Unfortunately, today we only hear the security talk, (and) no longer the health talk," laments Alexandre Feltz.
For Spyke, closing Argos "would be stupid." "We need even more theaters like this in France."
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