THE idea of setting up “fix rooms” in UK cities so that addicts can inject safely under supervision was always going to be controversial – there will be some who see it as enabling a problem rather than fighting to eradicate it. But the fact that the first of the facilities now looks likely to open in Glasgow should be welcomed by anyone who wants a progressive and effective policy on drug use.
The big surprise is that it has taken so long for the idea to attract support in the UK. For years, doctors have been arguing that consumption rooms can help the most chaotic and vulnerable drug users – those men and women who may have been using for 20 years or more and for whom the first priority is to prevent them dying so that they can be helped in the future.
The evidence from similar facilities in other parts of the world is also convincing. In Europe alone, there are 10 countries which permit fix rooms. There are also similar schemes in operation in Canada and Australia and the data suggests that they have reduced fatalities. Some of the Scottish Government’s own advisors have been arguing that drug-injecting facilities could have a similar effect in Scotland.
The need to reduce fatalities could not be more pressing. In Glasgow last year, 157 addicts died of their habit – double the toll of 10 years ago. The figure for Scotland as a whole also hit a record high of 706 –almost twice as high as 2005. The figures represent hundreds of lives that could have been saved.
Fix rooms have the potential to prevent other addicts meeting the same fate. They could also help reduce the number of needles discarded on the street which represent a hazard to the general public, and their introduction in Glasgow should be welcomed.
The long-term aim of drug policy has always been, and should remain, to help addicts recover. But for a small number of vulnerable addicts, safe heroin and a safe place to consume it may be the only answer.
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