Omonia – Vathis Square
Any resident of Athens who has walked from Omonia to Vathis Square after 10 p.m is familiar with the particular problem that plagues the area. «Nobody wants to live here, let alone walk through it in the evening. You go out and see drug deals or even drug use going on right in front of you,» said Theodoros Skylakakis, deputy mayor of Athens. Methadone program «The presence of the methadone program in the area plays a big part in this. Bringing so many drug-users together in one place is not good because it makes things easier for drug dealers. And drug dealing on the street creates a general environment in which crime thrives.» The solution to this particular problem in the area is complex. «Getting rid of the detoxification program is not the easy answer,» said Skylakakis. «If it leaves, it will go somewhere else, and those units must be somewhere that is readily accessible. And you won’t solve the problem by having a sweep operation. More police foot patrols are probably what is needed. At any rate, the problem can’t be solved from one day to the next, as it is a question of an overall policy for combating drugs.»
