Drug deaths and the case for Supervised Drug Consumption Rooms
New figures released today disclose that 1,187 people have died as a result of drug use in Scotland last year [BBC News]. This blog has previously mentioned the merits and issues associated with establishing medically supervised drug consumption facilities and, indeed, this author has written extensively about them (see for example, “Evidence and Issues Concerning Drug Consumption Rooms” [Link]. As stated in that paper “there is no single rule of law that forbids the creation and operation of such a facility. However, certain actions could expose organisers, managers, and staff at a facility to the risk of investigation, prosecution, conviction or civil suit. While the risk must not be overstated, it must not be understated.” There is much that could be achieved by a combination of Secondary Legislation and multi-agency protocols/agreements. The problem is persuading the UK Legislature to follow the path of other countries that operate such facilities (for a considerable period of time in some states) or even to pilot such a scheme.