IT is "highly likely" Glasgow's safe consumption room has saved lives, bosses have said, as the new facilty was used by 168 people over its first two months.
The Thistle, on Hunter Street, opened on January 13 and aims to provide a safe environment for drug users. It is the first facility of its kind in the UK.
Figures up to March 17 revealed almost 1000 injecting episodes have been supervised on site. In that time, there have been 17 medical emergencies, which have all been “resolved”.
Pat Togher, chief officer of Glasgow’s health and social care partnership (HSCP), said: “The increase in medical emergencies is in direct correlation with the increase in heroin use as would be expected.
“It is highly likely that a number of these would have resulted in a fatality.”
He was addressing a meeting of Glasgow’s integration joint board (IJB) on Wednesday, where he said: “We continue to see an increase in people using the service, which is excellent.”
The health chief told members that 168 people had used the service, with 1435 visits and almost 1000 injecting periods.
He then said there had been 17 medical emergencies, and all of them have been “managed and resolved and people have since returned to the service”.
Togher added: “We have received positive feedback from service users and third sector alike.”
He was asked whether there had been “disquiet from the local community” around the centre. The chief officer said there were “regular enquiries”, but he “wouldn’t necessarily say it’s about constant disquiet”.
“Local businesses have been encouraged to come in and engage with the management team as well, to kind of allay some concerns, queries that people have,” he added.
Another official said while there remains some concerns, there is regular contact with Police Scotland, the community and businesses.
