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Glasgow considers setting up 'fix rooms' for addicts to take drugs in

Similar schemes are used in some European cities

Monday 31 October 2016 15:29 GMT

Scheme aims to tackle drug-related deaths, spread of infections among users and amount of needles and injecting equipment left in public areas (Shutterstock)

Plans to create a unit in Glasgow for drug addicts to inject under supervision are to be discussed by councillors, police and health leaders.

The scheme aims to tackle drug-related deaths, the spread of infections among users and the amount of needles and injecting equipment left in public areas.

Used in some European cities, the safer consumption facility and treatment service was recommended by the Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership.

It will involve NHS staff but the location of the centre and its cost are still to be established, although advocates say analysis of other units "have demonstrated their cost effectiveness from a societal perspective".

Described as "fix rooms" or "shooting galleries" by some, the controversial plan has been considered in other UK cities but not implemented.

However, the scale of public injecting in Glasgow city centre - around 500 people - is said to "justify the introduction of a pilot safer injecting facility".

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Show all 10

1/10World's 10 deadliest street drugs

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Whoonga

Whoonga is a combination of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat HIV, and various cutting agents such as detergents and poisons. The drug is widely available in South Africa due to South Africa’s high rate of HIV sufferers, and is believed to be popular due to how cheap it is when compared to prescribed antiretrovirals. The drug is highly addictive and can cause major health issues such as internal bleeding, stomach ulcers and ultimately death

Getty

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Scopolamine

Scopolamine is a derivative from the nightshade plant found in the Northern Indian region of South America (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). It is generally found in a refined powder form, but can also be found as a tea. The drug is more often used by criminals due its high toxicity level (one gram is believed to be able to kill up to 20 people) making it a strong poison. However, it is also believed that the drug is blown into the faces of unexpecting victims, later causing them to lose all sense of self-control and becoming incapable of forming memories during the time they are under the influence of the drug. This tactic has reportedly been used by gangs in Colombia where there have been reports of people using scopolamine as way to convince victims to rob their own homes

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Heroin

Founded in 1874 by C. R. Alder Wright, heroin is one of the world’s oldest drugs. Originally it was prescribed as a strong painkiller used to treat chronic pain and physical trauma. However in 1971 it was made illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Since then it has become one of the most destructive substances in the world, tearing apart communities and destroying families. The side effects of heroin include inflammation of the gums, cold sweats, a weak immune system, muscular weakness and insomnia. It can also damage blood vessels which can later cause gangrene if left untreated

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Crack cocaine

Crack cocaine first came about in the 1980’s when cocaine became a widespread commodity within the drug trafficking world. Originally cocaine would have attracted a high price tag due to its rarity and difficulty to produce, but once it became more widespread the price dropped significantly. This resulted in drug dealers forming their cocaine into rock like shapes by using baking soda as a way of distilling the powder down into rock form. People were doing this because it allowed for them to sell cocaine at a lower quantity and to a higher number of people. The side effects of crack cocaine include liver, kidney and lung damage, as well as permanent damage to blood vessels, which can often lead to heart attacks, strokes, and ultimately death

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Crystal meth

Not just famous because of a certain Walter H White, but also because it is one of the most destructive drugs in the world. First developed in 1887, it became widely used during the Second World War when both sides would give it to their troops to keep them awake. It is also believed that the Japanese gave it to their Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war crystal meth was prescribed as a diet aid and remained legal until the 1970s. Since then it has fallen into the hands of Mexican gangs and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading throughout Europe and Asia. The effects of crystal meth are devastating. In the short-term users will become sleep depraved and anxious, and in the long-term it will cause their flesh to sink, as well as brain damage and damage of the blood vessels

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

AH-7921

AH-7921 is a synthetic opioid that was previously available to legally purchase online from vendors until it became a Class A in January 2015. The drug is believed to have 80% of the potency of morphine, and became known as the ‘legal heroin’. While there has only been one death related to AH-7921 in the UK, it is believed to be highly dangerous and capable of causing respiratory arrest and gangrene

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Flakka

Flakka is a stimulant with a similar chemical make-up to the amphetamine-like drug found in bath salts. While the drug was originally marketed as a legal high alternative to ecstasy, the effects are significantly different. The user will feel an elevated heart rate, enhanced emotions, and, if enough is digested, strong hallucinations. The drug can cause permanent psychological damage due to it affecting the mood regulating neurons that keep the mind’s serotonin and dopamine in check, as well as possibly causing heart failure

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Bath salts

Bath salts are a synthetic crystalline drug that is prevalent in the US. While they may sound harmless, they certainly aren’t the sort of salts you drop into a warm bath when having a relaxing night in, they are most similar to mephedrone, and have recently been featured throughout social media due to the ‘zombification’ of its. The name comes from the fact that the drug was originally sold online, and widely disguised as bath salts. The side effects include unusual psychiatric behaviour, psychosis, panic attacks and violent behaviour, as well as the possibility of a heart attack and an elevated body temperature

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Purple Drank

One of the more unusual drugs around at the moment, purple drank was popularised in 90s hip hop culture, with the likes of Jay Z and Big Moe all mentioning it in their songs. It is a concoction of soda water, sweets and cold medicine, and is drunk due to cold medicines high codeine content, which gives the user a woozy feeling. However it can also cause respiratory issues and heart failure

World's 10 deadliest street drugs

Krokodil

Krokodil is Russia’s secret addiction. It is believed that over one million Russians are addicted to the drug. Users of krokodil are attracted to the drug due to its low price; it is sold at £20 a gram while heroin is sold for £60. However, krokodil is considered more dangerous than heroin because it is often homemade, with ingredients including painkillers, iodine, lighter fluid and industrial cleaning agents. This chemical make-up makes the drug highly dangerous and likely to cause gangrene, and eventually rotting of the flesh

It will now be discussed by Glasgow City Integration Joint Board (GCIJB) - made up of councillors, police and health providers - at a meeting on Monday afternoon.

Details of the units are laid out in the agenda for the latest GCIJB meeting, with a report to be discussed saying there is a risk problems will worsen if action is not taken.

A report by Susanne Millar, council chief officer of strategy, planning and commissioning, said: "Lack of implementation of the proposed service development is expected to have a detrimental effect on the health of the people who inject drugs in public places, as well as local communities affected by public injecting.

"As described in 'Taking away the chaos', the report whose recommendations form the foundation of these proposals, this population experiences extremely poor health and has been significantly affected by the recent HIV outbreak in Glasgow.

"As well as HIV, Glasgow has been the centre of a number of infectious disease outbreaks among people who inject drugs in recent years, and also experiences a high burden of acute drug-related deaths. Indeed, 2015 saw a 15 per cent increase in drug-related deaths in Glasgow, with the city accounting for almost a quarter of the total Scottish figure.

"Furthermore, there are long-standing concerns from communities and businesses in the city centre and surrounds about the impact of public injecting and drug-related litter, which existing initiatives have been unable to resolve.

"Given the scale and persistence of public injecting in Glasgow, these problems are likely to persist or worsen unless new approaches to harm reduction are considered. The potential for the HIV outbreak to continue or spread further, including among people without a history of drug use, is particularly concerning.

"The proposed new services offer an evidence-based approach to addressing these risks, supported by experience from a number of other countries over the last three decades."

70 tonnes of drugs burned

A similar facility is being considered by councillors in Dundee but Neil McKeganey, of the Centre for Substance Use Research, said there should be more focus on helping addicts off drugs.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "For anyone who's not an advocate of drug decriminalisation, these are controversial and they will be seen as such.

"Some years ago we surveyed over 1,000 drug addicts in Scotland and asked them what they wanted to get from treatment and less than 5 per cent said they wanted help to inject more safely and the overall majority said they wanted help to become drug-free.

"These facilities have a role to play but there is a real danger that we're moving steadily away from a commitment for services to get addicts off drugs."

David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said: "We're hugely supportive of this proposed development. There's really a desperate need for such provision, particularly in Glasgow.

"I know it's been highlighted as controversial but when you see that these have been running in Europe for a very long time, Holland for example has 31 drug consumption rooms and Germany 24, and these are seen as part of the overall provision."

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