Inside the UK’s First Consumption Room for Legal Drug Injection
Scotland opens its first drug consumption room, allowing safe injection of class A drugs.
Glasgow, Scotland, Drug Consumption Room, Addiction, Harm Reduction
Glasgow: Tomorrow marks a big step as the UK’s first drug consumption room opens in Scotland. This place lets users inject class A drugs without fear of getting arrested.
Called The Thistle, it’s located in the eastern Calton area. It’s modeled after over 100 similar centers worldwide but is the only one in the UK.
This facility can operate legally thanks to a policy change that allows it to bypass Westminster’s drug possession laws. Scotland’s senior prosecutor decided not to intervene, which is a pretty significant move.
Inside, there are eight booths staffed by nurses. Registered users can inject drugs safely from 9 am to 9 pm, every day of the year. The Scottish government will cover the estimated £7 million cost over the next three years.
Scotland has the highest drug-related death rate in Europe, with 1,172 deaths in 2023 alone, a 12% increase from the previous year. Glasgow was chosen for this center because reports suggest 400 to 500 people regularly inject drugs in the city center.
While the center won’t provide or test drugs, it will have medical staff on hand to help during injections and in case of overdoses.
Users will also have access to showers, a clothing bank, medical consultation rooms, and a kitchen and lounge area.
Some locals and campaigners are worried this facility might encourage drug use, but many politicians support the initiative. First Minister John Swinney believes it will help people use drugs in a safer environment.
Scottish Labour also backs the plan, hoping it will reduce drug deaths in Glasgow. However, Annemarie Ward, from the charity Faces and Voices of Recovery UK, calls it a “misnomer of treatment.”
She argues it’s not innovative to watch someone harm themselves and believes the focus should be on services that help people recover.
Other countries like Denmark, Portugal, and Australia have similar consumption rooms. A study from Sydney’s Medically Supervised Injecting Centre found that less than 1% of injections led to problems.
Researchers concluded that providing a safer place to inject significantly reduces short-term harms.
Allan Casey from Glasgow City Council has been advocating for this facility for a while. He believes it will improve lives and ease the burden on emergency services.
While opinions are mixed, he’s confident that the benefits will be seen quickly.