Labour's Paul Sweeney plans law to open the door to drug consumption rooms in Scotland
The Glasgow MSP is drawing on his experiences volunteering with a mobile van in Glasgow
Last updated 25th May 2022
A Glasgow MSP is telling Forth 1 News he believes the time has come for a "grown-up debate" about introducing drug consumption rooms as he brings forward a bill at Holyrood.
Paul Sweeney is drawing on his experience volunteering at an unofficial, mobile, facility operated by campaigner Peter Krykant to make his case for a change in the law to protect the people using them from prosecution.
The same legislation would also abolish the existing Scottish Drugs Death Taskforce, with Mr Sweeney insisting the organisation "longer commands the confidence of the public or those working in the sector".
Instead, he proposes an independent Scottish Drug Death Council be set up to tackle the drugs death crisis that he said is "currently gripping Scotland".
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Does Holyrood have the power?
Speaking to us as he launched a consultation on his proposed Drug Death Prevention (Scotland) Bill he said: "I'm very confident the Scottish Parliament has legislative competance - it is a public health intervention first and foremost.
"The Conservatives, at the UK level at the Home Office, have been steadfastly opposed to overdose prevention facilities. My contention is that within devolved legislation we can do this and doesn't require permission from anyone else and I think we need to force that issue now.
"We've been very patient building up the evidence, and being persuasive with a lot of people who were intially skeptical. I think we've got overwhelming support across the parties and including some Conservatives who have listened to what I had to say about my own experiences with the pilot project in Glasgow.
"What we showed through the pilot project was that there were no prosecutions."
Speaking about his time volunteering with Mr Krykant, he said: "I saw overdoses being reversed, lives being saved and people who use drugs being treated with dignity and respect, often for the first time in their lives.
READ MORE: Changing attitudes to drug addiction in Scotland
No charges for drug van users
"We were warned that we were breaking the law, but not one volunteer was ever charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
"They are not a silver bullet, no one approach is, but our ambition here is implement changes that will save lives and overdose prevention centres will do that."
He stated: "The drug death crisis is the biggest single issue facing our country. Every six hours, one of our fellow citizens dies of a preventable drug-related death and we need to do everything we can to resolve that.
"Overdose prevention centres are one tool at our disposal, and I look forward to a grown-up, constructive debate about how we all work together to set them up in Scotland."