STV NewsThe Scottish Ambulance Service has been called to Glasgow’s drug consumption room five times since opening at the start of the year.
The facility, known as the Thistle, began operating in Glasgow on January 13 and offers a space where drug users can take illegal substances, such as heroin and cocaine, under medical supervision in a clean and hygienic environment.
The £2.3m facility confirmed it has been used 1,067 times by 143 individuals, with nursing staff supervising more than 700 injecting episodes, with people injecting cocaine, heroin or both.
STV NewsA number of “medical emergencies” have occurred at the Hunter Street location in the east end of the city, with SAS confirming it had been called out to the premises five times since the facility opened.
Those who required emergency medical assistance have recovered and been provided with further harm reduction and support from the team.
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.
With Glasgow one of the worst affected areas, groups in the city have campaigned for years for a safe consumption facility to be established.
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