Greens Call for Strengthening Addiction Treatment and Prevention

Mixing drugs is particularly risky

“Increasingly, the risk stems not from a single substance, but from dangerous drug mixing,” she said. In 2025, four deaths caused by fentanyl were reported—as many as in the previous five years combined.

For the first time, a death linked to nitazenen—which are opioids—was also recorded. “These are unmistakable warning signs. The Free State’s drug and addiction policy must keep pace with these developments.”

Insights into drugs are not translating into protective measures quickly enough

“Saxony has important insights from addiction services, the healthcare system, the police, forensic medicine, and local governments. But this knowledge is not yet being consolidated consistently enough or translated into protective measures quickly enough,” said Melcher. Those who only recognize risks once people have died are acting too late. “We need effective early-warning systems that identify dangerous trends early on and promptly align prevention, addiction support, and harm reduction with them.”

Addiction support needs long-term funding

According to Melcher, addiction support services in Saxony do indispensable work every day. “For many people, it is the place where help begins. It accompanies people through the most severe crises, supports family members, and creates pathways back to stability and participation. Addiction services deserve a sustainable and crisis-proof structure—with reliable funding, sufficient specialized staff, and low-threshold services available locally.”

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