Safer Drug Consumption Facility opening in Glasgow explained: Everything you need to know about the site where addicts can safely and legally inject drugs like heroin

This week on Wednesday, September 27, it was announced that Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership had full approval to open a Safer Drugs Consumption Facility (SDCF).

Approved by Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, who said it would not be ‘in the public interest’ to prosecute people using the drug consumption room service which is now set to open in Glasgow.

Since this will be the first safer drug consumption facility in the UK, and one of the first heroin-assisted treatment services, the project is being run on a pilot basis.

What is the safer drug consumption facility opening in Glasgow?

Safer drug consumption facilities (SDCFs) are clean, hygienic environments where people can consume drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health professionals.

They offer a compassionate, person-centred service which focuses on reducing the harms associated with injecting drug use and helps people access appropriate services to meet their needs.

By doing so, they are able to reach an extremely vulnerable group who often do not engage with existing services. These facilities typically consist of a reception area, a drug consumption area with injecting booths and, in some facilities, a drug inhalation room.

In addition, they usually provide an area where clients can receive support from relevant services and peer groups, to help improve their health and social circumstances. The exterior of such facilities can look like any other health and social care premises.

How much will the safer drug consumption room in Glasgow cost?

The facility is set to cost £2.3 million.

When was the safe drug consumption room in Glasgow approved?

The pilot project was approved on Wednesday by health and council officials at the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board meeting on Wednesday morning, September 27 2023.

Why was the safe drug consumption room in Glasgow approved?

In a report recommending the approval of the scheme, it 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.”

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.”

Where will the safe drug consumption room in Glasgow open?

The safe drug consumption room will open in Glasgow’s Hunter Street Health Centre in the East End of the city, just off of Gallowgate. Currently the health centre provides a heroin assisted treatment service, so the new safe consumption room will be an extension of said service.

How will the safe drug consumption room in Glasgow work?

Trained professional healthcare staff will medically supervise drug users in the Safe Drug Consumption Facility, mostly users injecting themselves with needles.

Sterile equipment, counselling, emergency care and access to healthcare and treatment services are all part of the “harm reduction” service, which prioritises the health of drug user rather than their criminality.

Hunter Street Health Centre already offers Heroin-assisted treatment(HAT) which involves providing prescribed heroin under supervised conditions to people with long-standing heroin addiction who have not been able to stop using drugs despite multiple attempts with other treatments. It is currently used in a number of European countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark, and is legal in the UK under specialist licence.

Patients identified as eligible for HAT are prescribed a set dose of pharmaceutical heroin by a specialist addictions doctor, which they inject two to three times per day under clinical supervision in specialist outpatient facilities. The treatment programme also includes other services, such as addictions counselling and support to resolve issues with housing, benefits, or other health conditions.

Patients in Heroin Assisted Treatment will not be able to take away prescribed heroin from the treatment service: it can only be taken on site under the supervision of clinical staff.

In the Safe Drug Consumption Facility, drug users will be able to use drugs they have acquired elsewhere on a drop-in basis after a short registration process - which is different from HAT in which addicts must use prescribed heroin 2-3 times a day after an assessment with a Specialist Addictions Doctor.

When will the safe drug consumption room in Glasgow open?

It is scheduled to be open from 9am to 9pm 365 days a year at the Hunter Street health centre, which already provides a heroin assisted treatment service.

Why is a safe drug consumption facility being opened in Glasgow?

Recent research suggests there are approximately 400 to 500 people injecting drugs in public places in Glasgow city centre on a regular basis. Many of these individuals have long-standing heroin addiction despite repeated rounds of existing treatments, such as methadone and residential rehabilitation.

These people are at high risk of very poor health outcomes, as illustrated by the recent outbreaks of HIV, botulism and anthrax. They are also at high risk of drug-related death, rates of which have increased significantly in Glasgow in recent years.

Although a relatively small group, the severity and complexity of their needs means they have high levels of use of public services such as NHS care, criminal justice and social work.

Public injecting also results in discarded used needles and syringes in the city centre and sometimes visible public drug use. A large body of high-quality research suggests that a SDCF and Heroin Assisted Treatment(HAT) services will help reduce the health and social consequences of public injecting in the city centre.

Glasgow city centre is the focus of the proposals because local evidence shows the area has a high concentration of people who inject drugs in public places, especially in the south-eastern area. Locating the facility in the area where public injecting is already taking place will maximise uptake by the target population and minimise any risk of relocation by those who use or sell drugs.

Both services have been recommended as evidence-based approaches to reducing the harms of injecting drug use by a range of expert organisations, including the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the British Medical Association.

When was the idea of a safe drug consumption room in Glasgow first announced?

Following an outbreak of HIV amongst drug users in Glasgow in 2016 - the idea of Safe Drugs Consumption Facility was first proposed, as it would provide a sterile and clean environment alongside treatment and testing services.

How will the Safe Drug Consumption Facility in Glasgow stop people from using drugs like heroin?

These proposals are targeted at a group of people who have long history of drug use and who find it difficult to stop using drugs completely, and for whom existing services have not been as effective as for others.

These new services aim to increase opportunities for successful treatment and recovery from drug use by improving people’s health and social circumstances, and enhancing their engagement with existing services.

The Safe Drug Consumption Facility will offer on-site access to:

• recovery-oriented services such as peer support and mutual aid
• other health services, such as primary care and treatment for blood-borne viruses like HIV
• services to help address adverse life circumstances, through advice and support on housing, welfare rights and other issues

What other measures have been used to fight drug addicition in Glasgow other than the safe drug consumption facility?

Glasgow City Council’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services offer open access to all people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction - whether through referal from other services or via self-referrals.

There are also a number of third sector groups, alongside council and NHS-run community addiction teams

Police and councillors across Glasgow carry Naloxone - a life-saving drug which can save prevent heroin overdoses. It works by reversing the respiratory suppression caused by opioids/opiates and can buy the casualty critical minutes until ambulance clinicians arrive on scene.

Police Scotland’s roll-out of Naloxone began with officers in Paisley, Greenock and Shetland receiving their kits on International Overdose Awareness Day last year, Wednesday August 31, 2022. Glasgow city councillors began training in December of 2022.

These kits are single use intra-nasal sprays, which can be used to prevent fatal overdoses in drug users.

Are there any other safe drug consumption facilities in the UK or Scotland?

This is the first Safe Drug Consumption Facility opening in both the UK and Scotland. It is being run as a pilot scheme, if successful we could see other such facilities in cities also battling long-standing drug addiciton problems.

There are however, more than 90 of these facilities worldwide, in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Which MPs and MSPs have voiced their support of the drug consumption room in Glasgow?

The UK Government stated that it does not support facilities - however but confirmed it would not act to stop their rollout in Scotland following the Lord Advocate’s ruling.

Alison Thewliss, the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Central, was among the first to welcome the news of the approval.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:“In too many parts of Glasgow, people are injecting in back lanes, in closes and in waste grounds. Until now, progress has been slow for campaigners, medical professionals and families. But this approval is a significant step forward.

“While it is welcome to see such progress being made, we must not stop there. I hope that these facilities will be used as a catalyst for change and encourage more councils all across the UK to introduce similar rooms in their own areas to ensure we support some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“These facilities are not a solution in itself, but it’s an essential part of a broader strategy to tackle drug addiction and its devastating consequences.

“We must continue to work on increasing access to treatment and support services, addressing the root causes of addiction, and advocating for evidence-based policies that prioritise the health and dignity of individuals affected by drug use.

“I look forward to seeing the positive impact that this drug consumption room will have on the lives of those in our community who need it most.”

Where can I find out more about the Safe Drug Consumption Facility opening in Glasgow?

You can find out more in this release of frequently asked questions on Safer drug consumption facilities and heroin-assisted treatment in this release from the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership.