The supervised injection sites are spaces where addicts can use drugs without running the risk of dying of an overdose, getting robbed or freezing while high. Another advantage is that there are noticeably less used needles in the area's alleys and basement stairwells. That change has come at a cost – the injection sites are so popular that they attract drug users from all over the city, and street life in the heart of the densely populated neighbourhood has become even more chaotic and violent.Lasse Glavind has lived next door to Mændenes Hjem for many years, and was one of the local residents who pushed authorities to establish the supervised sites in the area. He describes the time before the injection sites as "apocalyptic", but he also admits especially the success of Skyen has not made life any less difficult for his neighbours.Read more: Inside Copenhagen's Swanky, New Supervised Injection Site
"Over the last few years, the drug scene in the area has definitely gotten harsher. Partly because cocaine has gotten much more popular, partly because the injection sites have made the whole scene more crowded and intense."
"This is basically what Inner Vesterbro used to look like. According to people working for the city, the amount of drug paraphernalia waste has gone down 80 percent since the injection sites opened."
"When the weather's nice, the users here just want to enjoy a beer in the sun like the rest of us. On those days it's also just nicer for them to shoot up outside. That's why it would help if the injection sites had outdoor areas too."
"When you leave the Central Station from the back exit, you walk right into the heart of the Copenhagen drug scene. All kinds of different people show up there to score, including those who would never dream of setting foot in a supervised injection site. There are pensioners here, who sell their meds to the highest bidder."
"Mændenes Hjem has become much more crowded and hectic, because Skyen is attracting a lot of users. The new H17 injection site at Halmtorvet has definitely relieved some of the pressure on them."
"This is brilliant. I'm not sure the policemen who this bike belonged to would appreciate it as much."
"The little nooks in the small streets around the more deserted parts of the district are pretty popular for people looking for some relative privacy."
"We know that a lot of younger drug users are afraid to come to Vesterbro. That's a direct consequence of having these huge fix factories, where everything is so busy and chaotic."
