Thirty years after closing the infamous open scenes of the Du Letten and Platzspitz drugs, Zurich finds himself confronted with a new challenge. This time, it is Bäckeranlage, a park in the heart of the lively Langstrasse district, which crystallizes tensions around Crack’s consumption.
Presented by the city as a “real corner of urban paradise”, the bäckeranlage has become, according to residents, a nerve point of Crack consumption. Although no official figure is available, the inhabitants believe that a thirty consumers are there regularly, with new faces appearing every week.
![In the Bäckeranlage park is a neighborhood center with a restaurant. [RTS - VALENTIN JORDIL]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== "In the Bäckeranlage park is a neighborhood center with a restaurant. [RTS - VALENTIN JORDIL]")
The situation particularly affects schools in the neighborhood. “The team members were attacked by trying to remove from the entrance to the buildings. In the surrounding schools, teachers had to expel drug addicts, sometimes causing aggressive reactions,” said Andreas Graf, director of the Playground daycare which welcomes 150 children, on Saturday in the program of the RTS Forum.
But so far, no incident with the children has taken place. Even if some avoid crossing the park to go to school.
Alert
The closure of a reception center for drug addicts in 2022 seems to have exacerbated the problem. Despite a brief improvement following the temporary reopening of another center in 2023, the situation again deteriorated last spring, without real explanation.
Even if the city has no immediate solution, we want to be involved and regularly informed of the actions undertaken
Faced with this crisis, the inhabitants and merchants of the district are mobilizing. A distribution of leaflets is planned, as well as awareness -raising actions with municipal authorities. “We are waiting for the authorities to recognize the urgency of the situation and engage in a constructive dialogue with us. Even if the city has no immediate solution, we want to be involved and regularly informed of the actions undertaken,” insists Andreas Graf.
And to add: “We are asking for a two -steal approach: on the one hand, increased repression, with for example the systematic entry of drugs, even in small quantities. On the other hand, the development of assistance offers and contact points for dependent people.”
Three reception centers
The city of Zurich claims to take the situation seriously, highlighting various measures: strengthening the police presence, street social work, and maintenance of three reception centers for drug addicts. The latter welcome nearly 1,000 people, with 30,000 consumptions recorded monthly.
The authorities recognize an increase in drug use in public space, especially due to the growing popularity of crack, inexpensive and easily accessible. However, they admit that in a metropolis like Zurich, the complete eradication of this phenomenon is illusory.
Valentin Jordil
