Frankfurt's drug crisis: Fans warned as city struggles to cope
2:51 PM EDT, June 18, 2024
Frankfurt am Main is grappling with a significant drug addiction problem. When fans arrived for the match between Belgium and Slovakia on June 17 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, the police issued special warnings for them. The city's authorities remain largely ineffective, and some claim they are partly to blame for the dire situation in one of Germany's most important cities.
Foreign media have been warning for weeks about areas such as the Frankfurt train station, labeling it "zombieland" and "hell." Despite these warnings, the city authorities appear helpless to address the issue.
On almost every street corner, dealers sell various kinds of drugs and also harass passersby. Hundreds of drug addicts lie on the sidewalks, consuming substances in public without any attempt to hide. The scene is dramatic.
When fans arrived in Frankfurt am Main for the match between Belgium and Slovakia (0:1) on June 17 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, the host city was tragic. The Belgian police even issued special warnings for the fans.
Huge drug problem in Frankfurt am Main
Using hard drugs on the street is normal. Passersby are harassed, addicts demand money. It is not safe there - warned the German police.
According to the "Bild" newspaper, the dirt in front of the shops reaches to the ankles, and the streets are littered despite being cleaned several times a day. The municipal guard patrols the area around the train station daily. However, with 300 dealers and nearly 5,000 addicts, their efforts do not yield visible results.
If the police come to one street, the dealers just move to another. The problem remains — said a store owner located near the station in an interview with the newspaper.
Some politicians blame the Green Party faction for the situation. "The motto of the 2006 World Cup in Germany was 'A Time to Make Friends'. Now, Europe is being hosted by dealers and addicts. Because of the Greens in Frankfurt, instead of a fan scene at the Euro championships, we have a crack scene," said Dr. Stefan Haas, a member of the Hessian Parliament.
The only serious measures taken by the local coalition of Social Democrats and Greens for the European Championships are streets painted in bright colors, flower boxes, and two green booths powered by solar panels - argued Peter Postleb, a security expert and former adviser to the mayor of Frankfurt am Main.
