I take this opportunity to remind those in the chamber that I am the parliamentary liaison officer to the health secretary.
I fully support the Government motion. I consider that the UK Government should devolve power to allow the Scottish Government to take the action that is needed to implement its ambitious plans, which are designed to tackle unsafe drug consumption, and allow us to implement safe injection services in our cities.
Our drugs problems are not as simple as saying that we are at war with drugs, or arguing that we should pursue a drugs-free society. That latter aspect is an ideal and does not deal with the reality of how people are. People need to face the reality that addressing our relationship with drugs is much more complicated than eradicating their supply or use.
The Government’s proposal seeks to help the most vulnerable. We need to be bold and radical to help a generation of people, many of whom had to face horrendous policies in their youth and teenage years. Methadone, Suboxone and counselling just do not work for that group. It is not an either/or situation. Annie Wells talked about needing a net to catch people. The proposal, which is aimed at protecting those 400 to 500 people injecting publicly who were mentioned, is part of the net.
Brian Whittle talked about the front line. Prior to being elected, I worked intensely with the drug services in my role as a criminal justice social worker. My experience is that drug injection facilities are needed—indeed, there is evidence that safe injection services are successful, and supervised consumption has become an integrated component of the services that are offered in the drug treatment systems in a number of European countries.
I was heartened to read that some drug consumption rooms in Switzerland and Spain have been so successful that they are no longer needed and there has been a reduction in the number of those injecting heroin. We cannot ignore such inspiring evidence.
We have seen the success of needle exchange facilities. Again, we cannot ignore the outbreak of HIV in Glasgow. In 2017, 24 new cases were identified as a result of drug use, whereas in the other regions—except my own, Lanarkshire—there were none. In Lanarkshire, there were five new cases, which is also deeply worrying.
It is estimated that one in five of the 500 users who inject drugs in Glasgow is involved in the HIV outbreak, which now seems to be affecting about 120 people. There are challenges faced in engaging that population and ensuring that they are seeking treatment. A drug consumption facility would offer the opportunity to engage with them and ensure that treatment is in place.
I back the refreshed substance misuse strategy as it will ensure that the wider health and social needs of those who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction are taken into account as part of people’s on-going treatment and support. By joining up with the range of on-going work across Government to tackle poor mental health, homelessness, social isolation, stigma and employability, we are ensuring that engagement among the vulnerable is high and that they will be encouraged to use the services available to them and that the associated harms of drugs are reduced.
Although we must encourage needle exchange, there is obviously a problem in Glasgow. As the Royal Pharmaceutical Society points out, Scotland’s busiest needle exchange at Glasgow Central station has closed, which will no doubt have a long-term negative impact on public health. That issue was mentioned by Alison Johnstone. If there is no safe place to exchange needles, we will undoubtedly see a rise in needles on the street, with the potential to cause harm to others.
I understand that the proposed drug consumption facility is designed to service the needs of an estimated 400 or 500 individuals who inject publicly in the city centre. There will also be the opportunity to ensure that individuals inject away from the family environment, where children and younger siblings might witness drug abuse. That aspect must be considered within the context of Gail Ross’s members’ business debate on ACEs and the need to protect children and young people from that harm.
The research and the evidence show that supervised drug consumption facilities result in a reduction of high-risk injecting behaviour, such as needle sharing, leading to a lower risk of HIV transmission and death from overdose. Ecological studies have provided evidence that, where coverage is adequate, drug consumption rooms may contribute to reducing drug-related deaths at city level; ultimately, there are no recorded cases of a fatal overdose in a drug consumption room.
In 2016, there were 867 deaths in Scotland from a fatal overdose of drugs, which is the highest number of such deaths in Europe, as many others have highlighted. There is no denying that Scotland has a high rate of drug overdose deaths—indeed, it averages an overdose death every 10 hours—but the wide introduction of drug consumption facilities would ensure that such facilities become an alternative to public injecting, and the Government should be commended for tackling the issue head on. That would perhaps not tackle those who inject at home or in other environments, but it would certainly have an impact on those who overdose in city centres.
The level of drug taking in the general adult population is indeed falling and the level of drug taking among young people remains low, but the issues in Scotland are deep rooted and long-standing and we need a robust strategy to tackle them.
The proposal for a safer consumption facility in Glasgow is an example of how ambitious and innovative responses are being generated at the front line. I believe that working in partnership will ensure that we take measures at the correct level to address drug consumption and its associated risks.
Of course we should ensure that drug problems do not develop in the first place. However, we are not there yet and those who use drugs should have the opportunity to do so safely and with support available. If we introduce a safer consumption facility, vulnerable and exposed users would have a support system in place offering an opportunity for care, harm reduction and treatment options. Many users of heroin are homeless and suffer poor mental health, and they require support as they are members of one of the most marginalised populations.
Such facilities will work only if there is acceptance of them and correct promotion and if we ensure that they are safe environments without risks to users and support workers.
The evidence is there. The Scottish Drugs Forum supports the proposals based on the evidence collected from existing facilities around the world, of which there are now more than 100.
As the minister said, the proposal is not a cure-all, but I believe that it is an appropriate and robust step to take in tackling Scotland’s relationship with drugs. We have a unique opportunity to deliver an innovative drugs policy that would transform Scotland into a beacon of compassionate, effective approaches to drug use. Let us be bold and support the motion at decision time.
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