“A state delivery of tested substances to addicts would be very useful,” MP Ates Gürpinar told the “Welt” (Monday edition). “In this way, they could satisfy their addiction in close company without having to suffer blatant health consequences due to strongly fluctuating quality.”

“As harmful as drugs themselves are, many drug-related problems such as the health hazards of cutting agents, the financing of organized crime, and the social decline of addicts are largely caused by prohibition,” Gürpinar added.

In a motion by the Left parliamentary group, the federal government is called on to initiate projects that “with scientific evaluation test the supply of substances of tested quality to people with a severe addiction to methamphetamine (crystal meth), for example, in the sense of substitution treatment under addiction therapy support”.

The addiction expert Heino Stöver from the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences considers the initiative of the left parliamentary group to be sensible. “Black market drugs have an incalculable purity for consumers,” said the head of the addiction therapy and social management course in addiction help. “A state dispensing of drugs without contamination would minimize health damage.”

In the Union faction, on the other hand, the project is viewed critically. The professional treatment of people with a serious addiction must be guaranteed in every respect, said the health politician Simone Borchardt (CDU) of the “world”. “I am rather skeptical about extended substitution programs. It would be much more important to facilitate access to existing offers.”

After weeks of pressure from the federal government, Canada has approved the export of a repaired turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline coming from Russia. Siemens now wants to install them as quickly as possible.