Greece Hammered by HIV, Drugs, Financial Collapse, Austerity

Health Officials:  Athens Has Spiraling HIV Crisis by Elena Becatoros.  Bloomberg Businessweek.  November 30, 2012.

HIV infections among drug users in Greece have skyrocketed by 15-fold last year and 35-fold so far this year compared to a 2008-2010 baseline.  During the economic calamity drug users have turned from smoking to injecting in order to get the same effect from smaller amounts of drugs.  Austerity measures have impacted hospitals and charities who work with drug users, crippling efforts to deal with the HIV crisis.   Efforts to distribute clean needles do no match the extent of the problem.