Bristol's safe drug room pilot idea rejected

Plans to run drug consumption rooms for addicts in a city have been rejected and deemed illegal by the government.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said it could be a solution to drug use in the city but acknowledged it would require a change in the law.

The pilot project, which was mooted in 2019, would see users inject banned substances under supervision.

The Home Office has insisted it will not change the law and running them would be an offence.

A 2019 council report backed the use of drug rooms and plans were put together.

But Bristol City Council scrapped the idea after it said past research about their use had not been conclusive.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the plan has since been picked up again as part of a five-year drug and alcohol strategy that has been drawn up by the local authority, health chiefs and police.

Councillor Marley Bennett questioned the mayor during a council meeting on his commitment to lobby the government to allow it to pilot the rooms, stating it was a promise made in his manifesto.

Mr Rees, who has previously welcomed a "city conversation" to explore the idea, said reducing harm from drug and alcohol use was a "key priority".

"We have made a commitment to explore a variety of harm reduction initiatives including drug consumption rooms," he said.

"Councillor Asher Craig has expressed to government that Bristol would be interested in piloting an approach."

But a Home Office spokesperson said: "We have no plans to introduce drug consumption rooms and anyone running them would be committing a range of offences including possession of a controlled drug and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug.

"Our approach on drugs remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities, support people through treatment and recovery, and tackle the supply of illegal drugs."

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