This issue has been debated for more than one year in Norway, and Oslo, the capital, had already decided to implement a trial with one or two injection rooms, if the national government would consent. Mr. John Alvheim, the head of the Standing Committee for Health and Social Welfare in the Norwegian Parliament (Progressive Party - right wing), says that he will raise a private proposal for injection rooms. It is however doubtful if this can get a majority, as the Conservative Party and The Christian Peoples party, both in position, say that they will vote against it, while Mr. Gunnar Ballo, spokesman for the Socialist Left Party says his party will support the government side in this case.
If this comes true, there is a majority against injection rooms in the parliament as well. Last summer the Government then in position from the Labour Party, wrote to the INCB to get that agency's opinion on if injection rooms were in compliance with the international conventions on drugs, which Norway has signed.
The INCB stated very clearly that they were not in favour of injection rooms. Now the conservative/Christian government announces that they once more will present the issue for the INCB, where the question of injection rooms is placed in a more total strategy for treatment and care for drug dependents. That means that the question of injection rooms probably will enter the public debate once or twice again before the end of the year. If Oslo will go on without consent from the government also remains to see.
For information in Norwegian - see Sprøyterom.
