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Glasgow drug consumption room to open within weeks

Getty Images A general view of a safe drugs consumption room. Four chairs with black frames and a blue fabric are positioned in front of mirrors separated by white partitions. Yellow bins for sharps are attached to the walls. The floor is grey and reflections in the mirrors show a cupboard and a fire exit door.Getty Images
Glasgow's safe drugs consumption room was due to open on 21 October but has been held up by water testing delays

The UK's first consumption room for illegal drugs is "weeks away" from opening in Glasgow after delays caused by water supply testing.

The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility on the city's Hunter Street was due to open on 21 October, but was pushed back after failing to pass a three-stage testing programme.

Glasgow City Council's addiction services convener said it was "difficult" for the room to open over Christmas and New Year.

However, he anticipated it would open "at the tail end of this year or the very start" of 2025.

Figures released in August showed the number of people who died due to drug misuse in Scotland rose sharply in 2023.

Data from the National Records of Scotland revealed that 1,172 people died last year, up by 121 on the previous 12 months.

It is hoped the room, which will allow up to eight users at a time to ingest substances including cocaine and heroin in a managed environment, will help combat the rate of drug deaths – which are the highest per head than anywhere else in Europe.

It will be open between 09:00 and 21:00, 365 days a year, and will be staffed by clinicians.

Councillor Alan Casey said the building and staff were "ready to go," but admitted "red tape" around the water supply was causing a delay.

However, he said the authority would not "cut corners" in attempting to get the facility open to those who need it. It was given the green light last year despite initial opposition from the UK government and the Home Office,

Councillor Casey told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We can't cut any corners. We need to make sure it is done properly because so much scrutiny is on this building. It is the first in the UK, we must get it right for everybody to get it open.

"There has been red tape for over a decade now and we have been fighting to get this open. We don't want to cause the building to open and then to have to close at some point in the future because that would not be in anybody's interest.

"We have Christmas and New Year period which would be a really difficult time to open a service. We need to make sure it is right for the service users, we are probably weeks away.

"It will either be at the tail end of this year or the very start of the new year."

A drone image of the safe drugs consumption room in Glasgow. The building is white with a dark roof. It is in a U-shape with a green central courtyard and a large, white, plant pot in the middle. It is surrounded by grey paving. In the background, trees with green and orange leaves can be seen alongside several high rise buildings.
Cllr Casey said the facility on Hunter Street was "ready to go" once water testing was complete

Building regulations state that the water supply must pass three consecutive safety tests before a building can be given the go ahead to open.

If one of those fails, the process must be restarted from test one.

Testing is administered by the local health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC).

Councillor Casey said the facility recently returned a "satisfactory" result, with a further test to come in the next week.

He said talks were also under way with the Lord Advocate's office to obtain a "statement of prosecution policy," which would allow users to take substances without fear of criminal action, but added that he did not anticipate any further delays.

He said it was "frustrating" the room was yet to open, but said staff were already working to support drug users across the city.

"The staff are all recruited and ready to go, the building is ready to all intents and purposes, we just want to get it open now and provide that service," he said.

"The staff are engaging with folk on a day-to-day basis. We still have a wide range of supports for folk who are publicly injecting.

"But let's be honest here, we have been waiting for 10 years to open this facility, and there has been red tape around that from the UK government, the Home Office, so another few weeks where we test the water to make sure it is safe is something we can cope with."

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC confirmed final commissioning activities were under way.

She said: "NHSGGC is working with Glasgow City Council to carry out water testing as part of the routine commissioning process for any new healthcare premises.

"The latest results are satisfactory and a further set of results are expected next week. Once we have a consecutive set of clear results, the council will prepare the unit for occupation.

"This testing is the standard commissioning procedure in line with national guidance for all new healthcare buildings."