A Controversial Start

Reform UK Scotland has thrown down a challenge to the Scottish Government over Glasgow’s drug consumption room, insisting that ministers must either prove the facility is cutting deaths and getting people into treatment, or close it down.

The Thistle, based on Hunter Street in the city’s Calton area, opened in January 2025 as the first drug consumption room of its kind in Scotland. It allows people to inject drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine under medical supervision, with the aim of reducing overdose deaths and connecting users with wider support services.

Rising Concerns in Calton

But the drug consumption facility has divided opinion since it opened. Residents in Calton have raised concerns about a rise in antisocial behaviour and drug paraphernalia, including discarded needles, being left around the area. Glasgow City Council has had to install additional bins to manage the problem. Earlier this year, a man understood to have used the facility was found dead outside the building on Hunter Street.

Running the drug consumption room costs around £2.3 million a year, and Edinburgh City Council is now consulting on plans to open a similar service in the capital.

Reform UK’s Call for an Independent Evaluation

Thomas Kerr, Reform UK Scotland’s deputy leader, has lodged a motion at Holyrood calling for a full, independent evaluation of the pilot. The motion “notes reports of concerns expressed by members of the public and stakeholders regarding the level of usage, the cost of the facility, and its impact on reducing drug related deaths, public drug use and drug related crime.”

Kerr argues the drug consumption facility has “not demonstrated sufficient evidence of success to justify wider expansion,” and wants the Scottish Government to publish comprehensive data covering attendance, health outcomes, referrals into treatment, community impact, value for money and public safety.

His motion also calls for greater investment in prevention, recovery services, residential rehabilitation, mental health support and community based addiction treatment, describing Scotland’s current levels of drug related harm as unacceptable.

Kerr, who lost his father to drugs in 2016, said Scotland “continues to have the highest drug death rates in Europe” and argued the drug consumption room “has now been operating for long enough that it should be subject to rigorous, independent scrutiny.” He said taxpayers “deserve to know whether it is delivering meaningful results” and whether it is having any measurable effect on deaths, public drug use and crime nearby.

His comments come as separate figures showed drug related deaths in Scotland rising by 31 per cent in a single quarter, adding further pressure on ministers to demonstrate that the drug consumption room, and the wider approach to addiction services, is working.

Government and Council Respond

The scrutiny comes at a difficult time for addiction support in the city. Turning Point Scotland, which helps people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, is understood to be closing its Glasgow headquarters amid funding pressures, even as spending continues on the safer drug consumption facility pilot.

Alcohol and Drugs Minister Maree Todd defended the service, saying it “complements other harm reduction, treatment and recovery services and is undoubtedly saving lives through rapid responses to overdoses.” She added that staff at the drug consumption room are also helping people access housing support and rehabilitation referrals, and confirmed that an academic review is already planned to assess safety, cost effectiveness and community impact.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said the Thistle is a three year pilot that continues to be evaluated, with findings already presented at local community meetings. She said the council was “delighted” with the work being done, pointing to early signs that the service is reducing pressure on frontline emergency services.

What Happens Next

Whether that evidence will be enough to satisfy critics remains to be seen. For now, the future of Scotland’s first drug consumption room, and the prospect of further facilities opening in Edinburgh and beyond, appears to hinge on the outcome of that promised evaluation.

Source: dbrecoveryresources