UK’s first drug consumption room opens in Glasgow

The UK’s first official drug consumption room for illegal substances is set to open in the East End of Glasgow next week.

The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility, which has been named the Thistle, will open on Hunter Street in the Calton area on Monday 13 January where people can take substances under the supervision of clinicians.

The service will be open every day from 9am until 9pm and can accommodate 30 people at one time.

By providing a clean and safe space for people to take drugs, it is designed to reduce fatal and non-fatal overdoses and help users get support for addiction.

The people operating the service are medical professionals, trained both in the physical aspect of drug taking and the mental aspect, meaning these are empathetic people who can offer useful guidance to those coming in.

The Scottish Government have said there is evidence from over 100 facilities like this worldwide that it will save lives.

Scotland is in a drug death crisis which causes more deaths from drugs per head than anywhere else in Europe.