Zeitschrift für Suchtverhalten, Therapie und Rehabilitation

Drug Treatment among Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan - No Equity Here? Remarks from a German OSTClinic – and Lots of Questions

Meyer-Thompson HG

In 2015, more than one million refugees from the near and Middle East finally reached Germany. Among them there is a huge group of young men who had been consuming opioids before because of a lack of appropriate medication in their countries, after traumatic experiences or due to cultural habits. Uprooting, migration, flight and a deficient integration in a new culture are well-known causes of substance abuse. Outreach clinics, departments of mental health and substance abuse and Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) clinics in Germany are challenged by this group of patients. The official drug policy and health-authorities have not found an answer yet.