MOBILE consumption facilities could be implemented to tackle Scotland’s drugs crisis, MPs have suggested.
Following a report into The Thistle, a facility opened in Glasgow at the start of the year, the possibility of new, different models has been raised, the BBC reports.
The report by the Scottish Affairs Committee found mobile facilities, such as those used in Portugal and the Netherlands, may be more cost-effective and reach a greater number of drug users.
The Hunter Street facility allows users to consume illegal substances, such as heroin and cocaine, under the supervision of trained clinicians to reduce the number of both fatal and non-fatal overdoses.
Figures released earlier this month showed drug deaths had fallen by 13% in Scotland.
The report read: "The mobile facility was highlighted as being particularly beneficial at reaching out to potential service users who had not yet been in contact with the local authorities, as the site can move to areas where there are spikes in consumption."
Relocation for mobile units would require the approval of the relevant local authority.
The report continues: "While a mobile unit could have a broader geographic reach in Glasgow, it would not be possible under the Lord Advocate's current statement of prosecution policy, which has a very narrow scope limited to the premises of The Thistle."
The document also stated that the addition of an inhalation room, which would allow users to inhale drugs via pipes, was necessary to keep The Thistle viable.
The report stated: "For The Thistle to be effective, it must be able to meet the needs of the population it is trying to help, which it cannot do without an inhalation room.
"As well as making the facility accessible to those who inhale drugs, encouraging visitors to change their method of consuming drugs from injecting to inhaling can be an important harm reduction step."
MPs called for the UK Government to grant the facility more stable legal grounds. Currently, users are not prosecuted for the possession of illegal substances within The Thistle.
The facility, which was set up as a three-year pilot scheme, could lead the way for new legal frameworks which would allow the site to be properly operated and regulated, as well as any other potential future sites if it is deemed a success.
The committee said the UK Government should adopt "an evidence-based approach" to the facility after being told the Government does not support the existence of consumption rooms.
Patricia Ferguson, chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said: “Without a doubt, this is the most pressing public health issue facing the nation and things need to change urgently to stop more people dying.
“The Thistle could be one way of helping Scotland do this.
“If the facility, after its three-year pilot, is shown to be effective at tackling drug-related harm, we’re urging the UK Government to follow the evidence, and take the legislative action needed to create a proper legal framework that will ensure it can run and be regulated properly.”
She continued: “However, we also recognise that The Thistle is not a silver bullet.
“Our report emphasises that this pilot shouldn’t come at the cost of other recovery services – rather, they should operate in tandem to offer as much help as possible to people with problem drug use.”
Proposals for a safe drug consumption room in Edinburgh are currently in development.
