UK’s first consumption room for illegal drugs gets go-ahead to open in Glasgow

The facility is planned for Glasgow and would see users inject illegal drugs under medical supervision

Users of the consumption room will be allowed to take their own illegal drugs under medical supervision (Claire Hayhurst/PA) (PA Archive)

The UK’s first drug consumption room for users to take illegal drugs under medical supervision has been approved.

The £2.3 million facility is planned for Glasgow’s east end and would allow users to take their own illegal drugs in a hygienic environment with medical staff on hand.

First proposed in 2016 following an HIV outbreak in the city, the development of drug consumption rooms has been embroiled in years of political wrangling between the Scottish and UK governments.

But earlier this month Scotland’s most senior law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, announced it would not be “in the public interest” to prosecute people using such a facility.

The pilot project planned for Hunter Street, in the same building as a current drug treatment facility, was approved by health and council officials at the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board meeting on Wednesday morning.

The board involves NHS and council officials and earlier recommended the scheme for approval.

A report set to go before the board states: “There is overwhelming international evidence which demonstrates that safer drug consumption facilities can improve the health, wellbeing and recovery of people who use the facility and reduce the negative impact that public injecting has on local communities and businesses,” read a report that was set to go before the board.

There is overwhelming international evidence which demonstrates that safer drug consumption facilities can improve the health, wellbeing and recovery of people who use the facility

Report to Glasgow City Integration Joint Board

It highlighted that following an HIV outbreak in the city, an assessment “found there are approximately 400 to 500 people injecting drugs in public places in Glasgow city centre on a regular basis”.

It adds: “Injecting in public spaces increases the risk of infection and other drug-related harms, and also causes a risk to the public from discarded injecting equipment and needles.”

The Scottish Government backs the plans but some MSPs have raised concerns about the impact on the local area, including on businesses.