Safe drug consumption rooms move a step closer in Edinburgh
Edinburgh's drug and alcohol partnership has been tasked with costing and finding a potential location for a safe drug consumption room in the city - it's hoped the scheme would save lives
Safe drug consumption rooms could be a step closer in Edinburgh.
It's hoped the scheme would save lives, in a city which had 109 drug related deaths in 2021 - the highest figure on record.
Already used in nations like the Netherlands and Canada, these 'fix rooms' would allow people to use drugs under the supervision of trained professionals.
Councillors backed looking into the idea in July.
Now the Edinburgh alcohol and drugs partnership will begin a feasibility study looking at the potential costs and a location for the DCR (Drug Consumption Room).
But there are still various legal hurdles to be tackled before these proposals can become reality.
Previous bids by Glasgow’s city council for a DCR have been rejected by the UK Government, and a report to councillors said plans for one in Edinburgh would not be able to proceed “until Glasgow’s more advanced process is completed and the legal issues are clearer”.
It added that Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership is working with the Scottish Government, the Crown Office, Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland to test legal options.
The SNP’s Finlay McFarlane, who has championed the introduction of consumption rooms since his election to the council in May, attacked politicians at Westminster for blocking previous attempts to roll-out the overdose prevention measures.
But Labour’s Mandy Watt hit back, saying the problem should not be used for “political knock about”.
Touching on her personal experience with the issue, she said: “Five friends of mine from when I was younger have died because of drugs.”
She added: “This isn’t a party political thing, it’s not a chance to take shots at whichever government or council you don’t like.”
And Cllr Watt said some people living in areas where drug-related deaths rates are higher on average are concerned consumption rooms will become ‘a magnet for drug dealers’.
“There’s no points to be scored here. Something has to be done to end these really sad deaths,” she said.
The Greens’ Alex Staniforth said: “It’s good to take a medical rather than a criminal approach to addiction, I think that’s an excellent move on behalf of the city.”
Council leader Cammy Day, Labour, added: “109 deaths is 109 too many and anything we can do to try and prevent that we absolutely should.”
The study by EADP will look at “identifying a model consistent with local need and facilities”.
“It would also identify the costs entailed and possible sources of funding through Scottish Government, EADP and other routes. The study would define options for Edinburgh to potentially act if the legal situation becomes clearer (through the work by Glasgow),” the report stated.
The partnership is set to report back to the council by June 2023.