Home Office rules out giving drug addicts ‘shooting galleries’

Proposals to allow addicts to take drugs on the NHS, in rooms commonly known as heroin “shooting galleries”, were ruled out by the Government last night after strong criticism from politicians and campaigners.

The Home Office said: “The Government has no plans to allow drug consumption rooms, which [would break] laws whereby possession of controlled drugs is illegal.”

Ron Hogg, the crime commissioner for Durham, had called for addicts to be able to inject prescribed heroin legally in such rooms. He pointed to the success of trials around the world.

“We want addicts to access drugs in a safe environment so that they are not committing crime to buy drugs,” he said.