Almond Valley MSP Angela Constance this week pledged to open drug consumption rooms in Scotland in open defiance of Westminster policy.
In an emergency address to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, called to discuss Scotland’s drug deaths crisis, she said drug consumption rooms (DCRs) may be coming to Scotland – despite the Home Office blocking a pilot DCR for Glasgow in 2018.
The Scottish Drugs Minister, said: “This Government is firmly in support of the implementation of safe consumption rooms.
“Based on 30 years of evidence, there are 100 drug consumption rooms in 66 cities in 10 countries. They’re not the only solution, but they do help to save lives.
“We’re committed to implementing those, irrespective of the constitutional opportunities or the constitutional constraints that we face.”
She added: “Very detailed work is going on in government right now. I want to assure that when it comes to implementing evidence-based interventions that will save lives, I believe, absolutely we will leave no stone unturned.”
She continued by saying radical action was needed, pledging a “national mission” funded by £250million.
She said: “No one should underestimate the scale of the challenge we face. We can improve and save lives by getting more people into treatment and recovery.
“This will help reduce drug deaths in Scotland. We have had the humility to accept what has been wrong and move forward, we’ll have the courage to do what is right.”
Speaking to our sister paper the Daily Record last week, Ms Constance revealed a review of benzodiazepines – the abuse of which is behind most overdose deaths.
She said a rapid evidence review, involving GPs, is under way that is expected to lead to less prescribing of the pills that ravage many neighbourhoods.
She also repeated a pledge to move towards more residential rehab and alternatives to methadone – which continues to feature in most Scottish drug deaths, mixed with street drugs, heroin, alcohol and painkillers.
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