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Controversial facilities allowing drug addicts to inject themselves in hygienic surroundings should be trialled in Britain, a report from an influential charity has said.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report said the UK should pilot a series of “drug consumption rooms”.
Similar facilities which already operate in eight other countries are sometimes called “shooting galleries” after the term “shooting up” for injecting illegal drugs such as heroin.
The charity said the move would offer a “unique and promising way” to help reduce the number of fatal overdoses. It would also take drug use off the streets and reduce the problem of addicts littering the streets with discarded needles, it added.
An independent working group funded by the charity and chaired by Dame Ruth Runciman included police and health workers.Lady Runciman said: “While millions of drug injections have taken place in drug consumption rooms abroad, no one has died yet from an overdose. In short, lives could be saved. Setting up and evaluating drug consumption rooms would be a rational and overdue extension to UK harm reduction policies.”
She added: “Well-designed and well-implemented drug consumption rooms would have an impact on some of the serious drug-related problems experienced in the UK.”
The Commons’ all-party Home Affairs Select Committee considered shooting galleries in 2002 but rejected the idea.
Welcoming the report, chief executive of drugs education charity DrugScope Martin Barnes said: “This carefully-considered report will test the extent to which we are able to have an informed, rational and calm debate about drugs policy and reducing drug-related harms.
“A policy which can save lives deserves serious consideration however controversial it may seem at first. The international evidence in favour of piloting drug consumption rooms in the UK is strong and persuasive and we particularly welcome the emphasis on local agency working and engaging with local communities.”
The only shooting gallery they need – is lining up against one of Tommy’s walls -and shot with real bullets
No one can shut their eyes to this and ignore the fact that it’s happening. so if opening up these places stops people shooting up in places so dire as public toilets, and stops used and infected needles being left here, there and everywhere for anyone to stumble across, then i agree wholeheartedly with them.
@squeezy wrote:
“…….The charity said the move would offer a “unique and promising way” to help reduce the number of fatal overdoses……”
Maybe they should take into account the damage limitation to society from fatalities due to use of illegal drugs.
The cheaper option, to ”Tommy’s hang-em-all” policy is to encourage them to overdose and save us all a load of unnecessary costs.
Im just wondering how effective it would actualy be, the nature of addiction is a here and now hit, not a “i will just get myself down to the local safe drug room and have my fix in an hour” how many addicts would actualy stop shooting up in private and take themselfs off to a sterile enviroment???? where they will be regulated and put under a watchful eye and controlled?
Will the addicts still be supplying their own drugs? or just testing what the addicts bring to use? or is it just a case of keeping them contained and lugging em off to hospital when their gear is cut with something grim and hope they are in time?
Its a good idea in theory to get needles off the street, they have had needle exchanges for years but many still share thats the nature of the drug culture. What makes them think this shooting gallery will change things?
oh and seems a bit of a double standard providing a place where you can shoot up smack, but they wont provide a room to have a fag in a pub!
@temptress wrote:
Im just wondering how effective it would actualy be, the nature of addiction is a here and now hit, not a “i will just get myself down to the local safe drug room and have my fix in an hour” how many addicts would actualy stop shooting up in private and take themselfs off to a sterile enviroment???? where they will be regulated and put under a watchful eye and controlled?
I don’t fully agree with you there Tempy. I mean they have to do quite a lot of planning before they stuff their chemical of choice into themselves.
First they have to go out and burgle somebody’s house. Then they have to sell the stolen posessions to a ‘fence’ to get the cash. Only then can they go in search of a dealer to buy their illegal drugs.
OK, maybe they could rob and maim an old lady for the money. I accept that it would be quicker, but still requires a little bit of planning.
Adding one more step into their procurement chain wouldn’t be so difficult would it?
You have a point there PB, but once an addict has that drug in his or her hand everything else pales into insignificance, they will head for the quickest option.
I’ll take your word for that – injecting illegal chemicals is outside my direct experience.
Maybe we shouls simply revert to plan A – and let them all overdose and save us all the time and trouble bothering about them.
The little town I come from was once a nice quiet northern port
Then in their wisdom they decided to make it the main “needle exchange” town in north east
So what happens – the place is swamped with druggies looking for freebies – followed by pushers -then landlords looking at renting crap places to the druggies
As it escalates – burglaries , muggings , theieving , weapons etc escalate also
Shoot the bastards
As I said Drivel, if they are permitted to overdose them-stupid-selves, preferably in some stinking hell hole, then one more cause of the problem simply goes away.
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