A damning report has found that Swedish government-run homes for drug addicts are awash with so many drugs that several people have even died from drug-related causes in the last five years while in care.
Swedish state-run LVM homes are meant to help addicts get out of environments where drugs are easily available and help them overcome their addiction, but a review by broadcaster SVT found drugs are constantly being smuggled into the homes.
The public broadcaster investigated the homes and spoke to 26-year-old Pernilla, who had been placed in one of the homes two years ago but had begun experimenting with drugs when she was as young as 12 years old.
The 26-year-old claimed that drugs were rampant in the LVM home, saying: “I still had a withdrawal because I got no tapering and the first thing I encounter was two girls who took heroin inside the department.”
Kim, 27, spoke of similar experiences saying: “It’s almost harder to be drug-free here.”
“You can not just get away,” she added.
From 2017 to May of 2018, drugs were found in one of the 11 LVM homes every other day for a total of 280 separate incidents.
Levels of violence have also increased in the homes, with 360 incidents of threats or violence having been reported last year. Over the last five years, six people have died from drug-related causes while living in the homes.
The cost to house addicts in the LVM homes for Swedish taxpayers is around £374 ($490) per day over a period of six months for a total of just over £68,000 ($89,000).
Problems with drugs in Sweden have risen over the past decade, with 2017 seeing over 94,000 drug offences. The number of fatal overdoses has also increased rapidly from just over 200 cases in 2006 to 661 cases in 2015.
A report from Sweden’s western region released in August also noted an increase in illicit drug activity, claiming that children as young as 12 were out on the streets selling drugs.