The future of the "shooting galleries" in Paris and Strasbourg depends on the Social Security budget.

It's an understatement to say that Dr. Elisabeth Avril is weary of this endless debate: "What more is needed to ensure the facility's long-term viability?" As the "addiction treatment center" in Paris (commonly known as a "shooting gallery") opens on Thursday morning, November 6th, Dr. Avril, who has championed the project since well before its inception in 2016, makes no secret of her disappointment. In the capital, as in Strasbourg, the only two French cities with supervised drug consumption rooms, these facilities, which have existed under an experimental program for nine years, could close on December 31st if no provision is made in the law before then.

Their future depends on a government amendment to the Social Security financing bill, currently being debated in the National Assembly, which provides not for a permanent extension but a further "extension" of the experiment until December 31, 2027. This amendment itself depends on the future of the bill, which is destined for a parliamentary journey as chaotic as that of the budget.

Yet, this is precisely the source of Ms. Avril's weariness: all the evidence has been presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of these "addiction treatment centers" (HSA). In an opinion piece published in Le Monde on Thursday , a group of healthcare professionals asserts: "These centers are the most effective and humane response to street drug use. All evaluations confirm it: scientifically, socially, and practically, it works."

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