ABSTRACT
Compared with many other European countries, drug policy in Switzerland is relatively liberal. The so-called four-pillar model, implemented by national and local governments since the mid-1980s, places equal importance on prevention of drug use, police action against illegal drug trafficking, therapy for drug users and harm reduction. Harm reduction facilities include syringe exchange schemes, which seek to reduce the risk of contamination with AIDS and hepatitis; injection rooms, where it is possible to inject drugs in hygienic conditions; emergency shelters and drop-ins, where homeless drug users can spend the night; as well as methadone maintenance treatments and, since November 1993, heroin maintenance treatments.
