Edinburgh Plans a Safer Drug Consumption Facility Despite Glasgow’s Troubled Record

Edinburgh City Council is pushing ahead with plans for a safer drug consumption facility in the Old Town. The move raises serious questions, as Glasgow’s own facility has failed to cut drug deaths and has brought anti-social behaviour and discarded needles to nearby streets.

The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) launched the public consultation on 1 April 2026. It runs until 1 July. The council wants views from residents, businesses, drug users and their families on whether to develop the facility in the capital’s historic centre.

Glasgow’s Drug Consumption Room Record Raises Serious Doubts

Glasgow’s experience casts a long shadow over Edinburgh’s ambitions. The Hunter Street facility, known as The Thistle, opened in January 2025. Since then, drug deaths in Scotland rose by 8% between 2024 and 2025. Glasgow holds the highest drug-related death rate in the country at 41.1 per 100,000 people for the period 2020 to 2024. West Dunbartonshire, North and East Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire also exceed the national average.

Residents near The Thistle report sharp increases in discarded needles and drug paraphernalia on local streets. Authorities installed extra bins to manage the problem. People in the Calton area also report open-air drug dealing and a growing police presence.

In early 2026, a facility user died outside its doors. The SNP Government still insists the project works, but critics say the numbers tell a different story.

The Cost of Rolling Out Safer Drug Consumption Facilities

Each safer drug consumption facility costs over £2 million to open. The Thistle alone consumes £2.3 million per year in public funding. Scotland’s finances face severe pressure. Replicating this model in Edinburgh, Dundee and elsewhere draws fierce criticism from opposition politicians.

Scottish Conservative drugs spokesperson Annie Wells described the policy as “state-sponsored drug taking” that does nothing to tackle addiction. She wants The Thistle scrapped and the money redirected to treatment.

“We have seen the misery that The Thistle is causing in Glasgow, with anti-social behaviour out of control and locals having to dodge discarded needles,” she said. “The Scottish Conservatives would scrap The Thistle, prevent any more of these facilities opening and reintroduce our Right to Recovery bill, which would actually tackle addiction by enshrining in law a right to treatment.”

Greens Push for a National Rollout of Drug Consumption Rooms

The Scottish Greens, co-led by Gillian Mackay, put drug consumption rooms at the heart of their May election platform. They promise a fully funded national rollout as part of a wider public health response to Scotland’s drugs crisis.

Mackay says the evidence supports the approach and that social stigma around addiction makes the problem worse. “Our policies need to be evidence-based with compassionate services delivered by trained medical professionals, who can offer drug users the support they need and deserve,” she said.

She also pointed to poverty, unemployment and failing public services as root causes. She acknowledged that drug consumption rooms alone will not fix the crisis.

What Edinburgh’s Consultation Actually Involves

The EHSCP consultation welcomes anyone who lives, works or regularly visits Edinburgh. The council runs an online survey alongside drop-in sessions across the city. Separate meetings are planned for people who use drugs, those in recovery, family members, professionals in the field, and local community groups. All sessions are confidential.

After the consultation closes, the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board receives the findings. The Board decides whether to develop a full plan. That plan then needs approval from the Scottish Government and the Lord Advocate.

A Question of Evidence

Critics say Edinburgh should wait for a proper evaluation of Glasgow before moving forward. The Glasgow facility started as a pilot. Its impact was supposed to be assessed before any expansion. That cautious approach now appears abandoned.

Drug deaths keep rising. Communities carry the visible burden of street-level drug use. Millions in public money now back an unproven model. The debate around safer drug consumption facilities in Scotland is far from over.

Source: dbrecoveryresources