Ten years after the idea was first put forward, drug users in Glasgow will now be allowed to take illegal substances under medical supervision in the UK’s first drug consumption room.
The £2.3 million facility, named Thistle, opened its doors today (January 13) and is intended to tackle Scotland’s high rates of drug-related deaths. With 1,172 counted in 2023, the country is Europe’s drug death capital.
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Heroin and cocaine are the main drugs that Thistle will focus on. It’s hoped that providing a safe conditions, sterile needles and a closely monitored environment for illegal drug consumption will lower cases of HIV and other drug-related conditions, ultimately saving lives.
There are more than 100 similar facilities around the world that are proven to have reduced fatal overdoses and have seen drops in emergency department visits.
Dorothy Bain, chief lawyer for the Scottish government, said: ‘In diverting cases we aim to break cycles of harm and reduce the impact of crime on communities.
‘I am satisfied that the Glasgow facility can provide a way for support services to engage with some of the most vulnerable people in society.’
Lynn Macdonald, Thistle’s service manager, told STV News: ‘I would say there is no evidence to suggest that an environment like this will encourage people to inject drugs.
‘This is not a choice. People don’t wake up in the morning and think there’s a site down there, I’ll try that today.
‘The people we will attract are generally known around Glasgow city centre by outreach staff, who may have dipped in and out of services. We know they will come here because it is warmer; it is more dignified than being down a lane.’
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