Please note that this page is a static copy of a previously published web page and is no longer actively maintained.
Be aware that the information contained here may be out-of-date.
For the most recent information, we recommend visiting the main website of the EMCDDA.
Country | Needle and syringe fixed programmes | Outreach NSP | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year first NSP | Sources | Year first publicly funded | Sources | No. of specialist agency sites with NSP | No. of vending machines | No.of Pharmacy-based NSP sites | No. of prison-based NSP sites | Total number of fixed sites (min) | No.of sites with NSP outreach workers | No. of sites where NSP carried out by van | Total number of pharmacies | |||||
Belgium (Flemish Community) | 2001 | 1 | 2001 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 45 | 10 | 0 | 2710 | ||||
Belgium (French Community) | 1994 | 1 | 2000 | 1 | 16 | 0 | : | 0 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 2464 | ||||
Bulgaria | 1995 | 1 | 1999 | 1 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 98 | : | 5268 | ||||
Czech Republic | 1986 | 3 | 1991 | 3 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 36 | 1 | 2600 | ||||
Denmark | 1986 | 1 | 1986 | 1 | : | : | : | 0 | : | : | 0 | 318 | ||||
Germany | 1984 | 4 | 1992 | 2 | 185 | 165 | : | 1 | : | : | : | : | ||||
Estonia | 1997 | 1 | 2001 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 23 | 0 | 503 | ||||
Ireland | 1989 | 5 | 1989 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | : | 1394 | (3) | |||
Greece | 1998 | 1 | 1998 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11500 | ||||
Spain | 1985 | 1 | 1985 | 1 | 1222 | : | 912 | 70 | 2204 | : | 36 | 21166 | ||||
France | (1) | 1989 | 1 | 1995 | 1 | 116 | 276 | 29 | 0 | 421 | 91 | 49 | 22386 | (4) | ||
Italy | 1990 | 1 | 1990 | 1 | : | : | : | 0 | : | : | : | : | ||||
Cyprus | 2007 | 2 | 2007 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 458 | ||||
Latvia | 1997 | 1 | 1997 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 828 | ||||
Lithuania | 1997 | 1 | 1997 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1441 | ||||
Luxembourg | 1993 | 1 | 1993 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 92 | ||||
Hungary | 1994 | 1 | 2000 | 1 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 13 | 4 | 2411 | ||||
Malta | 1987 | 1 | 1987 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | : | ||||
Netherlands | 1984 | 7 | 1986 | 1 | 150 | : | 25 | 0 | 175 | : | : | 1980 | ||||
Austria | 1990 | 1 | 1990 | 1 | 15 | 15 | : | 0 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2271 | ||||
Poland | 1989 | 1 | 1989 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 13 500 | ||||
Portugal | 1993 | 1 | 1993 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1336 | 2 | 1352 | 96 | 149 | 2739 | ||||
Romania | 2000 | 2 | 2000 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 36 | 36 | 5900 | ||||
Slovenia | 1992 | 1 | 1996 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 68 | 308 | ||||
Slovakia | 1994 | 1 | 1994 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1799 | ||||
Finland | 1997 | 1 | 1997 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | : | : | 811 | ||||
Sweden | (2) | 1986 | 1 | 1986 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 945 | |||
UK- England | 1986 | 1 | 1987 | 1 | : | 1 | : | 0 | : | : | : | : | ||||
UK - Wales | : | : | 30 | 1 | 192 | 0 | 223 | 4 | 16 | 706 | ||||||
UK-Northern Ireland | 2001 | 2 | 2001 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 532 | ||||
UK-Scotland | 1987 | 2 | 1987 | 2 | 55 | : | 200 | 0 | 255 | 8 | 7 | : | ||||
Croatia | : | 1996 | 2 | 6 | 0 | : | 0 | 6 | 43 | 47 | : | |||||
Turkey | n/a | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | : | ||||||
Norway | 1988 | 1 | 1988 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 700 |
NSP: the acronym NSP is the abbreviation for the term ‘needle and syringe programme’. This means the provision of sterile syringes and hypodermic needles as well as of further injecting paraphernalia to injecting drug users. NSPs can also be implemented at pharmacies or in prisons.
NSP site: The term ‘site’ is used to describe physically distinct outlets where syringes can be obtained for free or in exchange against used ones.
Where data are not available, the table entry is left empty.
(1) For France, Circulaire DGS 05 May 1992 allowed a pilot study of NSPs, but full implementation only after 1995.
(2) In Sweden, needle and syringe programmes were run on a pilot basis from 1986 until 2006, when they were regularised through the Injection Needle Exchange Act (2006:233).
(3) Number of pharmacies in 2006.
(4) Number of pharmacies in 2009.
See also 'General notes for interpreting data' on the Explanatory notes and help page.
Updated according to information in
(1) Structured questionnaire 23 'Prevention of infectious diseases', submitted by NFPs in 2004.
(2) Reitox National Report 2007.
(3) Personal communication, B. Korcisova, 9.3.2005.
(4) Personal communication, H. Stöver, 31.1.2005.
(5) Standard tables on 'syringe availability' (ST10), submitted by NFPs in 2004 and 2006.
(6) Personal communication, M. Camilleri, 14.2.2005.
(7) Coutinho, R. (1995), American Journal of Public Health 85, 1490-1.
(8) Personal communication E. Subata, 28.2.2005.
(9) Personal communication NFP, 11.4.2011.
NSP sites and total number of pharmacies information: Standard table on 'syringe availability' (ST10), submitted by NFPs in 2011 and Reitox National Report 2011.
Page last updated: Monday, 09 July 2012