The Scottish Secretary has said current evidence does not support opening drug consumption rooms, despite the Home Office previously admitting a range of public health benefits.

Alister Jack, said instead, the Scottish Government had sufficient powers under devolution to tackle drug deaths.

He was asked by Angela Crawley, SNP MP for Lanark and Hamilton East, if the UK Government would back reform of the Misuse of Drugs Act and allow an overdose prevention centre in Glasgow.

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Glasgow Times:

Jack however, said: “All home nations have the same tools at their disposal, yet the drug death rate in Scotland is four times higher and there are no plans to introduce drug consumption rooms; the current evidence doesn’t support their use.

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“We do support however, needle and syringe programmes to prevent blood borne diseases. And also, the widening if availability of naloxone to help prevent overdose deaths.”

The UK Home Office, however, previously wrote to Glasgow City Council confirmed the benefits of facilities and international evidence shows they are effective.

It highlighted to the council reports which showed DCRs were effective in “addressing the problems of public nuisance associated with open drug scenes and in reducing the health risks for drug users”.

It also noted the “Effectiveness of facilities in Vancouver and Sydney, noting they reduce injecting risk behaviours and overdose fatalities”.
And it showed: “Drug consumption facilities have the ability to reach and maintain contact with high-risk drug users who are not ready or willing to quit drug use”.

Crawley had said: “The Scottish Government intends to open an overdose prevention centre in Glasgow to tackle drug deaths and HIV infection rates. They are prevented from doing so by this government’s reliance on the out of date, ill-fitting drug legislation, the Misuse of Drugs Act.”

She asked: “Ahead of Saturday’s ‘support don’t punish’ day of action will the minister speak with his cabinet colleagues on the need to reform this act and support the Scottish Government’s call for an urgent four nations summit on this issue.”

Mr Jack noted that drug deaths were four times higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK.

But he said: “The majority of the levers to tackle drugs misuse are delivered and devolved to the Scottish Government, including health, education, housing and the criminal justice system.”