Edinburgh could become the second UK city to open a drug consumption room. Health officials have confirmed that a 13-week public consultation launches in April, subject to board approval.

If everything goes to plan, a drug consumption room in Edinburgh could open as early as next year. It would bring supervised drug use under medical care to Scotland’s capital for the first time.

The Drug Consumption Room in Edinburgh’s Old Town

Two sites are currently under consideration. Spittal Street and an area around Cowgate are the frontrunners, with board papers pointing to the Old Town as the place where a drug consumption room in Edinburgh “would do most good” because it is “where most public injecting happens.”

The papers also document the harm already unfolding in the area. People have died from drug-related causes in public toilets, car parks and alleyways. Ambulance crews respond repeatedly to overdose callouts, and discarded needles remain a persistent risk to the public.

What Glasgow’s Supervised Injection Facility Shows Us

The UK’s first supervised injection facility, The Thistle on Hunter Street in Glasgow, opened in January 2025. In its first year, it registered 575 users, most of them male. People used the facility 11,348 times by January 2026. Staff supervised 7,827 injections of illegal drugs and managed 93 medical emergencies. The facility also referred 612 people to outside services, including housing support.

Christine Laverty, chief officer of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (IJB), said Edinburgh would not copy Glasgow’s model directly. She also warned that the Scottish Government must provide full funding. The Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership budget has no spare capacity, she noted.

What Needs to Happen Before a Drug Consumption Room Opens in Edinburgh

The consultation in April is only the first step. Before any facility can open, Scotland’s Lord Advocate must agree not to prosecute service users. The NHS must provide trained medical staff on site. Edinburgh’s city councillors must then formally approve the plan.

Once the consultation closes, the responses will shape a business case. The IJB plans to submit that case to the Scottish Government later in the year.

Scotland’s Drug Crisis Demands Urgent Action

Scotland has recorded the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe for seven years in a row. That figure drives much of the push for a supervised injection facility in Edinburgh and similar interventions across the country.

Supporters say these facilities stop people dying alone in unsafe places and open a door into treatment and recovery. Critics argue the money could go further elsewhere, or that the approach sends the wrong signal.

The consultation exists precisely to work through those arguments. Edinburgh residents, community groups and health professionals will all get a say before any decision is made.

Source: dbrecoveryresources