Have your say on city’s proposed new drugs facility - Lorna Slater

Edinburgh residents now have an opportunity to do exactly that through the consultation on a proposed safer drug consumption facility in our city. I would encourage everyone to take part, whether you support the proposal, have concerns or simply want to learn more about it.

This consultation is not about asking people to ignore the challenges associated with problem drug use. It is about asking how we respond to those challenges in a way that is evidence-led, compassionate and effective.

We do not need to speculate about whether these facilities can make a difference. We already have experience here in Scotland.

Glasgow’s Thistle facility, the first of its kind in the UK, has now been operating for more than a year. In that time, it has recorded over 11,000 visits from hundreds of registered users, providing a safe environment where overdoses can be responded to immediately and where people can be connected with treatment, healthcare and wider support services.

Early evidence shows it is reaching people who are among the most vulnerable and at greatest risk of harm.

Safer drug consumption facilities are not a silver bullet. No serious advocate has ever claimed they are. They sit alongside prevention, treatment, recovery services and wider action to tackle poverty, inequality and poor health.

But they can be an important part of a public health approach that focuses on saving lives and creating pathways into support.

The consultation on a potential Edinburgh facility runs until 1 July and will help shape any future business case. Residents, businesses, people with lived experience and community organisations all have a stake in this discussion.

Whatever your view, I hope you will make it heard. The best decisions are made when communities are engaged and informed.