Glasgow’s Drug Consumption Facility Expected to Open Soon Following Water Testing Delays

The United Kingdom’s inaugural supervised consumption facility for illicit drugs in Glasgow is anticipated to open within “weeks,” after its launch was postponed due to issues with water supply testing. The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility, situated on Hunter Street in the city, was originally scheduled to commence operations on 21 October. However, its opening was deferred after it failed to successfully complete a three-stage testing program. Glasgow City Council’s convener for addiction services noted that opening the room during the Christmas and New Year period would be “difficult.” Nonetheless, he projected that the facility would open “at the tail end of this year or the very start” of 2025. Figures released in August indicated a sharp increase in the number of individuals who died from drug misuse in Scotland during 2023. Data from the National Records of Scotland showed that 1,172 people died last year, an increase of 121 compared to the preceding 12 months. It is anticipated that the facility, which will permit up to eight users simultaneously to ingest substances such as cocaine and heroin in a supervised setting, will contribute to addressing the high rate of drug deaths – which is the highest per capita in Europe. The facility will operate daily from 09:00 to 21:00, 365 days a year, and will be staffed by clinicians. Councillor Alan Casey affirmed that the building and staff were “ready to go,” but acknowledged that “red tape” pertaining to the water supply was causing a delay. He stated, however, that the authority would not “cut corners” in its efforts to make the facility available to those who require it. Councillor Casey informed BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme that the project received approval last year despite initial opposition from the UK government and the Home Office: “We can’t cut any corners. We need to make sure it is done properly because so much scrutiny is on this building. It is the first in the UK, we must get it right for everybody to get it open.” He continued: “There has been red tape for over a decade now and we have been fighting to get this open. We don’t want to cause the building to open and then to have to close at some point in the future because that would not be in anybody’s interest.” He added: “We have Christmas and New Year period which would be a really difficult time to open a service. We need to make sure it is right for the service users, we are probably weeks away.” He concluded: “It will either be at the tail end of this year or the very start of the new year.” Building regulations stipulate that a water supply must pass three consecutive safety tests before a building can be authorized to open. If any of these tests fail, the entire process must be restarted from test one. Testing procedures are managed by the local health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC). Councillor Casey reported that the facility recently yielded a “satisfactory” result, with an additional test scheduled for the following week. He also mentioned ongoing discussions with the Lord Advocate’s office to secure a “statement of prosecution policy,” which would allow users to consume substances without fear of criminal charges, though he did not foresee this causing further delays. While describing the delay in the room’s opening as “frustrating,” he noted that staff are already actively supporting drug users across the city. He stated: “The staff are all recruited and ready to go, the building is ready to all intents and purposes, we just want to get it open now and provide that service.” He continued: “The staff are engaging with folk on a day-to-day basis. We still have a wide range of supports for folk who are publicly injecting.” He added: “But let’s be honest here, we have been waiting for 10 years to open this facility, and there has been red tape around that from the UK government, the Home Office, so another few weeks where we test the water to make sure it is safe is something we can cope with.” A spokeswoman for NHSGGC confirmed that final commissioning activities are currently under way. She stated: “NHSGGC is working with Glasgow City Council to carry out water testing as part of the routine commissioning process for any new healthcare premises.” She continued: “The latest results are satisfactory and a further set of results are expected next week. Once we have a consecutive set of clear results, the council will prepare the unit for occupation.” She concluded: “This testing is the standard commissioning procedure in line with national guidance for all new healthcare buildings.”