Health Secretary slams "shameful" misinformation about Glasgow's Drug Consumption Room
Neil Gray is rejecting claims about the Thistle Centre which have been spread on social media
Scotland’s Health Secretary has hit out at "shameful misinformation" being spread online about the UK's first drug consumption room, based in Glasgow’s east end.
The Thistle Centre, which opened in January in Hunter Street, is a pilot facility where drug users can take substances like heroin and cocaine under medical supervision, aiming to reduce public drug use and save lives in a city with one of the highest drug death rates in Europe.
Neil Gray has condemned the falsehoods, suggesting the centre is handing out illegal drugs or leading to a rise in drug-related litter in surrounding areas.
READ MORE: FIRST LOOK: Inside the UK's only safe drugs consumption room
Speaking to a special Scottish Parliament committee on drug harm, he stressed that these claims are completely false.
He said: "A video containing blatant misinformation has been viewed 150,000 times online, and I'm angered by this.
"International evidence supports safer drug consumption rooms, and we must not let misinformation cloud the debate.
"We can discuss the effectiveness of this pilot, but spreading falsehoods is simply wrong."
The Health Secretary was responding to Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who raised concerns about misleading reports suggesting an increase in discarded needles in a nearby Morrisons car park and allegations that staff at the centre are supplying drugs or administering injections.
READ MORE: UK's first safe drugs consumption room opens in Glasgow
Mr Gray dismissed these as outright lies, emphasising that drug users bring their own substances and that the centre provides a hygienic, supervised space to prevent overdoses.
SNP MSP Bob Doris also highlighted a long-standing issue in Maryhill and Springburn, where a housing unit had been abandoned due to persistent drug use.
Mr Gray said he hopes the Thistle Centre will help prevent similar situations by offering a gateway to support services, including housing.
"This facility is allowing services to engage with vulnerable people in ways they’ve never been able to before," he said.
READ MORE: MSPs told impact of Glasgow drugs consumption room won't be known for years
The Thistle Centre has already drawn national attention, and while experts have cautioned that it will take years to fully assess its impact, supporters argue that it is a necessary step in tackling Glasgow’s ongoing drug crisis.