Helping addicts helps us all

It is, we’re bound to say, a rather bleak picture. Drug addicts gathering together to inject seems such a dark ritual. But with concerns about overdosing and infection though the sharing of needles, so-called “drug consumption rooms” may be an answer.

Certainly, some senior police figures seem to think so.

A proposal by Glasgow City Council earlier this year to open a space where addicts could take drugs as safely as possible was rejected by the UK government, but with deaths from drug use reaching record levels this decision may have been rather hasty. Of course, support for those who are trying to break free of their habits must be a priority, but does that mean we simply ignore those who are struggling to take that step?

There is growing evidence that drug consumption rooms help save lives and decrease the burden on the NHS.

The days when “just say no” was considered an effective anti-drugs message are long past. While people continue to use addictive substances, making them – and society – safer while they’re doing it seems to us to be an objective worth achieving.