Since shops and facilities were closed on March 18th, 2020 and the Bavaria-wide going-out restrictions came into effect on March 21st, 2020, the situation of drug users and low-threshold facilities has changed a lot:
Accommodation options such as Drop-Inns only run in emergency operation (no stay possible, only dispensing of consumer utensils, food donations and warm meals continue to run). Consultations were not possible in the first few weeks but now can be organised personally by phone and behind a plexiglass pane.

Staying on the street is only permitted in urgent cases, violations are subject to fines. However, since many only live in pensions and emergency sleeping places, many are still outside and are therefore fined accordingly.

The clinics currently only offer detoxification in emergency cases and no regular admissions are allowed. Most substitution clinics – in spite of the recommendations made by the authorities – have not or only slightly expanded take-home allocation. The reason for this is the low remuneration of the Take Home prescriptions. This has now been changed and it is hoped that Take Home will finally be prescribed by higher numbers.
The feared collapse of the drug market so far has failed to materialize, and all drugs, with the exception of synthetic cannabinoids, are still easy to get on the street. However, a partially massive price increase can be seen.

So far, everyone who wants to be mediated into substitution clinics can be mediated, but so far there is no coordinated concept of emergency substitution because the responsible city authority has been ordered to the Corona programmes. The question will be, how long will the restrictions remain in place? What does the proposed easing bring and how does this affect the drug market?

However, there are a few good things to report. On the one hand, the low-threshold facilities have so far been able to distribute many paraphernalia and the distribution of food donations still works despite the limited offer of the Münchner Tafel. We have received quite a lot of donations so that we can buy groceries and then distribute them to drug users. In the meantime, 80 – 100 clients come to every day fort hat support.

Podcasts on the situation of drug users from 03/26/2020:

Olaf Ostermann,
Condrobs, München