THE UK’s first safe room for injecting heroin will not act as a “honeypot” to encourage more drug users into Glasgow city centre, campaigners have insisted.

The landmark unit, approved by authorities yesterday, will provide medically-supervised injection and inhalation of drugs with the aims of tackling drug-related deaths, the spread of infections among users and the amount of injecting equipment left in public areas.

Already in operation in some European cities, the safer consumption facility and treatment service in Glasgow is recommended by the Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP).

Read more: Glasgow drug addict 'fix room' proposal approved for further consideration

It will involve NHS staff but the location of the centre and its cost are still to be established, although advocates say analysis of other units has “demonstrated their cost effectiveness from a societal perspective”.

Susanne Miller, chairwoman of Glasgow ADP which developed the proposal, said safer injecting rooms would benefit both drug users and local communities.

Around 500 heroin users are estimated to inject drugs on the streets of central Glasgow, but Ms Miller denied the new service would attract even more – the so-called “honeypot” effect.

“There is no evidence to support that notion,” she said, adding that people already gravitate towards the city centre, creating a public nuisance and possible criminal activity.

She said visitors to the safe injecting rooms were likely to be people who have failed to engage with previous drug programmes.

Read more: Glasgow drug addict 'fix room' proposal approved for further consideration

Ms Miller added that the drug users would not be offered pharmaceutical grade heroin for free but a small number of people who have exhausted other treatment options will be offered the drug on prescription.

While the Glasgow unit will be a UK first, safer injecting rooms have been a success in Europe, Vancouver and Sydney, with 90 facilities currently running in 61 cities.

An HIV outbreak among drug users in Glasgow had also shown the need for a fresh approach, Ms Miller said.

The concept was first mooted by the city’s ADP and backed by health and social care chiefs.

While the site of the safer- injecting room is unknown, users will be offered “wrap around” health care with a clinic, counselling, housing and benefits advice in the same location.

Cllr Matt Kerr, Glasgow City Council executive member for Social Justice, said the unit would not bring “problems to the city centre”.

Read more: Glasgow drug addict 'fix room' proposal approved for further consideration

He said: “There are people shooting up right now, on the public thoroughfare or just off it.

“If this is a honeypot, that is what we want. We want people to come in into a safe space and get the health and social support they require.”

A spokesman for Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS said research showed safer injecting rooms could save money for services such as health and housing, while making communities safer.

However Professor Neil McKeganey, founder of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research said they were controversial.