The Thistle Centre – the first of its kind in the UK – will provide a space where drug users can take illegal substances such as heroin and cocaine under medical supervision in a clean and hygienic environment.
The centre, in Hunter Street in the east end, will be open to users from 9am to 9pm, 365 days a year – and will be supported with £2 million of Scottish Government cash each year.
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Now, the Westminster committee – which is chaired and predominantly attended by Labour MPs – has said an inquiry will be launched, looking specifically into the “legal and policy challenges” faced in setting up and running the facility as well as its effectiveness in reducing drug-related deaths in Scotland.
Scotland continues to have the worst rate of drug deaths in Europe, with the latest figures showing 1,172 people died from drug misuse in 2023 – a rise of 12% on the previous year.
The inquiry will also consider what legal changes at UK-level might be necessary to enable the facility to operate sustainably beyond its three-year pilot.
Scottish Labour MP and chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, Patricia Ferguson (below), said: “Scotland has the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe, and Glasgow is at the centre of this crisis. It’s vital that things change and that both Governments work together to tackle problem drug use and stop people dying.
(Image: PA)
“In 2019, a predecessor Scottish Affairs Committee recommended that the UK Government should support a pilot drug consumption room like this in Glasgow. Since then, policy and legal developments have made the facility a reality.”
She added: “This new inquiry is an important opportunity for us to look closely at how the facility reduces the harm caused by problem drug use, and what legal changes might be needed if the facility is to be made permanent.”
Meanwhile, speaking during a tour of the facility last week First Minister John Swinney said: “I hope it will help us to reduce drugs deaths in Scotland and to help people to find a different route in their lives.
“We will evaluate the effectiveness of this particular intervention to determine what progress is achieved as a consequence of it, what impact it has had, and to learn the lessons from it.”
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Organisers supporting drug users have welcomed the facility.
Ronnie Hart, from Paisley, used substances for more than 30 years before going into residential rehabilitation. He is now a recovery worker with drug and alcohol charity WithYou.
He said: “I was able to visit The Thistle last week and I was very impressed by the work that has gone into creating a warm and welcoming environment.
“It is a really nice service that will draw in people who would otherwise be using in lanes and car parks, giving them access to medical interventions and showing them that they are valued members of our society.
“People who use drugs in a harmful way often have very chaotic lives. Even if they want to make a change, they do not know where to start.
“The Thistle will be a really important tool for reaching people in Glasgow who really do need support, and sharing advice on how to be as safe and healthy as possible. For me, that’s a no brainer.”
Graeme Callander, policy lead at WithYou, added: “Often, a person will attend a WithYou service because, for example, they want to collect fresh injecting equipment.
“They will be absolutely resolute that they don’t want any other help but, over time, relationships begin to form with our support workers. Soon, that person might ask about other treatment options or recovery groups.
“The safer consumption facility can work in the same way. As well as enabling people who use drugs to do so under the supervision of trained medical staff, it will provide a unique and vitally important opportunity for specialists to build relationships with people who can really benefit from support.
“That engagement will be pivotal to the overall impact of The Thistle.”