‘The Thistle’ the new safe drug room in Scotland

This is simply doing what happened in the past...opium dens where people could use drugs safely.
Of course it's a good idea. It gets the dealers off the streets and the whole thing will be regulated.
Well done, whoever suggested this idea.

Apparently, it doesn’t work for various reasons.
Perhaps we should adopt the Portuguese system for drug users. Their addiction rates have plummeted.

But Mumofthree why do you think it will get the dealers off the streets, the addicts who use this new facility will be providing their own drugs so surely they’ll still be using the drug dealers but just using in a safer place under supervisions

We had a similar trial of this in our local town, the funding was pulled when it was realised that addicts, dealers and drug users were hanging around the area and causing problems to residents,
I also agree that the money could be used for more rehab centres, however in my area now the problem is to wide spread and open drug dealing is the norn, its out of control.

What do they do in Portugal?

They decriminalised drugs and drug addicts are now called patients,

Moving towards decriminalisation is a big step and one the majority are likely to oppose.

I’m conflicted about safe spaces to use illegal drugs. I can foresee the dealers hanging about creating problems. I’d like to see more funding for prevention strategies

Do not agree at all, waste of resources.

As I commented Iam64, that is exactly what happened in our area, but now dealing openingly is the normal !

Cities in the US have people camped in the street openly using drugs, they have become no go areas, businesses move out because they shoplifting is such they can no longer sustain the losses. Anerica's show case city, San Francisco, is one prime example, likened to a cesspit.

I think decriminalisation of certain downsides in society, and I can see the arguments for that, cause other problems. Wasn't that trialed with prostitution in Leeds, locals said the area where that happened became unbearable.

Great, I know people who cannot get certain treatments/ medication, but they have money for this. This is like when they brought out methadone, it's a sticking plaster. Addiction is a complicated issue, would we allow drinking rooms for alcoholics? Gambling rooms for gambling addicts? I'd much rather the money had been spent on proper rehabilitation services for addicts, to get to the root of their addiction, why they are addicted and proper counselling. Sadly, it will take some sort of incident before they decide this isn't the way to go. I dread if they legalise drugs and I wouldn't put it past Scottish Government. Where I live, everybody and their mother seems to be on cannabis, and I hate it. It permeates everything and people's clothing reeks of it. So no, I do not agree with drug consumption rooms.

We have safe injecting rooms, at great cost to taxpayers. They are scarcely used,apparently. Not the way to go.

I don’t want to see drugs legalised I want to see them driven out I read of two many precious young lives taken because of drugs …my friends son did just that aged 21 everything to live for had had a charmed life with two well off parents but drugs changed him he wasn’t taken them in the street but in good clean places he not only lost his own life but devastated his families
I want to see more money put into prevention , catching the criminals the dealers and helping people get off them
I think this is a total waste of money, time and resources

BlueBelle

I don’t want to see drugs legalised I want to see them driven out I read of two many precious young lives taken because of drugs …my friends son did just that aged 21 everything to live for had had a charmed life with two well off parents but drugs changed him he wasn’t taken them in the street but in good clean places he not only lost his own life but devastated his families
I want to see more money put into prevention , catching the criminals the dealers and helping people get off them
I think this is a total waste of money, time and resources

I totally agree with your post.

It's the Nanny State writ large isn't it? The money should be spent tackling the root cause of this explosion in drug use, not actually encouraging it. Medics will be standing by to deal with emergencies, I understand drug users are already triaged to the front of the queue in A&E whereas elderly people are left on trolleys or in ambulances. I have it on good authority that some older drug/alcohol users are placed in residential homes as there is nowhere else to put them. A taxi is taken by the patient (at their cost) to wherever the person buys their "supply" and they then pop back to the home again. Meanwhile those poor souls who need warmth and care are denied a bed as it is taken up by cases such as this. Sourcing mental health provision is a nightmare but these consumption rooms are the sticking plaster as referred to by the OP.

I’m another in agreement with BlueBelle. Homestead62’s comparison with other addictions made sense to me. Alcohol mills and destroys lives despite or because it’s legal.
Legalising prostitution was supposed to make it safer for the street sex workers. It didn’t. Sex work is dangerous

When I was young and idealistic (stupid) I volunteered on a needle exchange, it was at the time of the Aids crisis, so yes whilst I am sure we saved lots of people getting HIV, however if many of them are alive now I would be astounded. It wasnt helping people in my view.

I agree with the point of view that drugs are evil and destroy lives. As far as how open drug taking impacts on wider society, from what I read, in areas abroad where that seems to be permissible it makes for a horrible street life and neighbourhoods descend into no go areas and are just generally ghastly for those who have to live around that. I've seen pictures of children being bussed into schools in San Francisco, Portland, Oregon the first state to decriminalize, where allegedly overdoes rocketed. The school kids were having to step over all manner of detritus and paraphernalia lying around squalid encampments where drug use is prolific In relation to sex work, which so often goes hand in glove with drug addiction. I'm damn sure the majority of girls/women on the streets have a pimp/s controlling them, have been forced to become addicts themselves and worse still have been trafficked.

I don’t think it’s a good idea. They shouldn't be doing this at all, really. The easier, safer and more acceptable it is to use drugs, the longer people will keep using - instead of getting help.

It will also cost £2mil a year to run the facility.
Better to put the money into rehab.

Disgusted with this idea!
My sister is in hospital.. has been in a 'queue' for an endoscopy for 3 days as they don't have the staff for the department... staff have left and they can't get replacements...
People who use drugs are going to use drugs.. they won't care where.. the dealers won't be affected in any way... the local residents will not be happy... nhs staff would be better employed elsewhere!
Utterly ridiculous idea!

Galaxy you were idealistic. It’s allowed when young, most of us gradually find realism gradually replaces idealism as we learn more about life and people

There’s a consensus breaking out here, most of us would rather see money invested in rehab programmes than (ridiculous) safe injecting spaces. I’d like to see investment in prevention. Early Years services are proven to somehow reduce drug use and early pregnancy. That has to be better for society than a ‘safe’ injection space. They’re injecting drugs bought illegally with money they stole (shop lifted) or raised by dangerous sale of their weak bodies

I think it is one of those luxury beliefs that is a disaster for the most vulnerable, so if you are cushioned by money and class, you are more likely to be able to get away with recreational drug use ( not always I know there are many middle class casualties) but if you are poor, etc your chances of coming out unscathed are very low. It is the same as sex work, those with power are sentencing the vulnerable to a life of hell.

Exactly Galaxy.