Innsbruck plans supervised drug consumption room

Innsbruck is planning a room where people with drug dependencies can consume substances they bring in under supervision, ORF reports. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber and Deputy Mayor Georg Willi say the aim is to move drug use off the streets and reduce health risks. A legal basis and funding arrangements are still needed.

The room is also intended to ease pressure on public spaces and complement addiction support services in Tyrol. Anzengruber said he did not want drugs used in the city’s streets and parks, but also did not want people with addictions consuming them unseen in building entrances, where nobody might be able to help in an emergency. He said it was important to distinguish drug crime from addiction and offer support to people with severe dependencies.

The facility would operate under strict conditions set by authorities, allowing staff to intervene quickly in an emergency, Anzengruber said. It would also offer access to counselling and further support. Willi said a supervised consumption room would complement, not replace, counselling or treatment, and could reach people who are difficult to engage through existing services. Professional supervision could reduce health risks and save lives in emergencies, he told the Austria Press Agency.

There is currently no legal basis for operating such a room with legal certainty. Funding and operational arrangements also need to be worked out with the Tyrol provincial government and the health system. The measure is listed as a priority in Tyrol’s 2022-2032 addiction strategy and was approved by the Tyrol state parliament in 2024. Anzengruber said an up-to-date assessment of need and a viable operating plan were necessary.