Catalan prison to provide aluminium foil to inmates undergoing drug treatment

A Catalan prison has authorized certain inmates to use aluminium foil so they can inhale drugs more safely during the detox process.

According to Catalan media platform El Caso, and confirmed by the Department of Justice to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), prisoners can avoid sanctions for possession of aluminium foil at Brians 2 Prison since Tuesday.

The department has stressed that the use of the foil is not unrestricted, and is not intended to encourage drug use among inmates.

Distribution of aluminium foil is limited to those authorized by the prison's Drug Addiction Care and Monitoring Center (CAS).

The measure is commonly applied at community-based CAS addiction centers across Catalonia.

The practice was already in place at Brians 1 Prison, which also has a CAS center.

The justice department is now considering whether it could be extended to other prisons that do not currently have CAS facilities.

Supporting drug-dependent inmates

Both Brians 1 and Brians 2 prisons have a CAS unit that supports drug-dependent inmates with various treatments and programs.

The aim is to help them rehabilitate and reduce the risks associated with ongoing drug use prior to full recovery.

One harm-reduction policy implemented by the CAS is the distribution of lead-free aluminium foil.

This allows users to inhale drug vapors instead of injecting them, reducing the risk of overdose and the transmission of infectious disease.

The prison system includes prevention and detox programs for inmates with drug dependency issues.

According to data from Catalonia's health department, an estimated 40% of the prison population suffers from drug addiction problems.