TORIES WON’T BUDGE ON DRUG CONSUMPTION ROOMS
Tories fail to budge on use of drug consumption rooms but minister admits possible benefits of decriminalisation
HOPES that the Tory Government might concede ground on drugs policy appeared to be dashed after Westminster’s policing minister refused to acknowledge the issue of drug consumption rooms on the eve of the UK-wide summit.
Controversial DCRs were the burning issue at the Scotland-specific summit in Glasgow yesterday.
But in a wide-ranging article written for the Daily Record today, Kit Malthouse MP, minister for Crime and Policing, spoke extensively about targeting the supply of drugs and policing our way out of the crisis – with no mention of such facilities.
Malthouse emphasises the control Westminster has over drug laws but makes no mention of the relentless debate over facilities designed to increase the flow of drug addicts into care and prevent overdoses in the most needy areas.
The Home Office also dampened optimism by demanding that a mock DCR erected by the Transform Drugs group was dismantled and taken off the site, despite huge interest from delegates at the first event.
Despite the bad vibes coming from Westminster, Susanne Miller, chair of the Stop The Deaths event at Glasgow’s SEC, said she would appeal to Malthouse’s humanity at the UK at the same venue today.
She said: “If the drug consumption room is rejected we will keep driving the point and I genuinely believe that anyone listening to the evidence with an open mind will soon come round to the fact that this is the right approach.”
Miller added: “A DCR would take treatment to where people are and I think we can make that case in a stronger way in Glasgow than has been presented to the UK Government before.
“If we don’t get firm progress on that today it won’t be a failure as we will keep driving the point.” Malthouse’s curtainraiser article does give hope for a softening in attitude by admitting that Portugal has benefited from diverting drug addicts from courts to treatment. Portugal has a key speaker at the conference, Alcina Ló from the Ministry of Health. Malthouse also reinforces support of heroin-assisted treatment and the availability of naloxone to prevent overdose deaths. After reading his piece for the Record, Scotland’s public health minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “I’m still hopeful that after listening to the evidence, the Westminster Government will be strongly influenced by the powerful evidence they will hear. “If they’re not prepared to change drugs laws they can allow a pilot drug consumption facility for Glasgow and that would be a fair starting point.” Earlier he told the conference: “The problem we’re all here to discuss is as brutal as it is simple. “The solutions may be complex but they must be found otherwise this senseless carnage will continue. We must address the impact of drug use in a way that is public health-led rather than just as a justice issue. It’s no secret I don’t always see eye to eye with the UK Government but that does not matter. What matters is saving lives.” Glasgow councillor Mhairi Hunter told delegates that the city is better equipped and more ready to adopt radical approaches than any other. She acknowledged that the Daily Record, in campaigning for more healthbased measures, including decriminalisation, has broken down barriers and helped unite Scotland. Several of the speakers yesterday had lived experience of drugs and the