Kostas Bakoyannis’ “Athens Tall” faction denounces in a statement the Municipality of Athens for abandoning the fight against drug addiction in the city.
“It is sad and frustrating that the largest municipality in the country, at a time when the drug problem is intensifying, is declaring itself essentially incompetent and incompetent to do the obvious,” the statement stressed, among other things.
At a glance:
The Municipality of Athens, under the responsibility of the current municipal authority, is withdrawing from a critical social structure, effectively abandoning the fight against substance addiction in the city.
Dukas is consciously choosing to withdraw from the “MyAthens” Transitional Shelter for psychoactive drug users, adopting the logic of “throwing off the responsibility of what I cannot manage”. With today’s decision, the Municipal Authority is setting Athens back years, dismantling, “lightly”, a social protection network that has been painstakingly built over the past years.
“MyAthens”, created in 2020 through the cooperation of the Municipality, the Reception and Solidarity Centre, the then OKANA and KETHEA and other institutions, was a model structure. It was not just a place of accommodation, but an integrated reference point that provided primary care, psychosocial support and an essential link to rehabilitation and substitution programmes.
The effectiveness and innovative approach of the structure was recognized internationally, with MyAthens receiving an award from Bloomberg Philanthropies and recognition from the World Health Organization as a good practice in social intervention.
The structure coordinated services and agencies to meet critical needs: medical and nursing services, interface with structures of the H.S.Y, psychosocial services, legal and accounting support, food, hygiene and clothing services, document issuance and access to welfare benefits, as well as regular HIV and hepatitis viral testing and immediate free access to treatment.
Since its inception, the facility has supported hundreds of homeless users. Many have been able to reunite with their families or obtain a stable income and shelter, and more than half have been placed in treatment programs. In conjunction with the streetwork service, also now faltering, a comprehensive plan had been formulated to drastically reduce the number of addicts living on the streets.
Today, the Municipality of Athens, which had the critical role of overall responsibility, operational maintenance and, most importantly, coordination of all cooperating agencies and services, is being withdrawn. With the usual practice of the Municipal Authority “either you take it or we close it”, the structure is transferred exclusively to the EOPAE.
Indicative of the Municipal Authority’s attitude is that Mr. Dukas was deliberately absent from the discussion of this issue, choosing not to publicly take political responsibility for this decision.
It is sad and frustrating that the largest municipality in the country, at a time when the drug problem is intensifying, should declare itself virtually incompetent and incompetent to do the obvious.
As a faction of “Athens Tall”, we declare that we will stand by EOPAE, assisting with our expertise and our staff in the difficult task it undertakes.
