Thursday, 12th of July
On Thursday, Alessandro and Jenna presented on the topic of drug policy for Switzerland and the United States, respectively. They showed very intense pictures and videos about the past and present drug scene in each country, however, it was very important to see when talking about the topic of drugs.
Jenna focused on the opioid epidemic in the United States, while Alessandro presented on a broader topic of drugs in Switzerland. Heroin and drugs are treated and looked at very differently in Switzerland than in the United States. The Swiss students were able to learn about Narcan, which is a drug given to a person overdosed on opioids. In Switzerland, Narcan is not used, mostly because the overdose rate is very low. This is because heroin use is controlled in a way that prevents overdoses.
Later in the day, after lunch, our group visited a heroin clinic in Luzern. We were able to look around the facility that provides heroin treatment and talk to a social worker that works at the clinic. The session was very informative and our students learned a lot. After, we went sightseeing in Luzern and were able to see the beautiful mountains and learn more about the city.