Scotland officials weigh up smoking ban exception for supervised crack use

"Health experts said there had been a significant increase in the number of users switching from injecting heroin to smoking crack in both cities, which they said raised new health challenges and opportunities. Officials in Glasgow have told the Scottish government they want to expand the UK's first officially sanctioned drugs consumption room at the Thistle centre which opened earlier this year in the city's east end to allow the supervised injection of heroin using fresh needles to include enclosed, ventilated booths for crack smokers."

"She said cocaine was now the most heavily used drug, both by injecting and smoking, but it was often adulterated. Their data showed needle use was falling but smoking increasing, shifting the public health arguments towards supporting crack users. Drug policy experts argue smoking drugs is often less risky than injecting, but users still needed health, social care and housing support, and help moving off drugs."

"Scottish ministers and health officials have embraced safe consumption facilities as part of efforts to combat Scotland's record rate of drug deaths, which is the worst in Europe and more than three times higher than England and Wales. Cocaine was implicated in nearly half of the 1,017 drugs deaths in Scotland last year, and 52% of deaths in Glasgow. This year's data shows that nearly 900 people died from all types of misuse between January and September, 8% up on the same period last year,"

Scottish ministers are considering altering the law that bans smoking in public places to permit supervised crack-smoking facilities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Health services report a marked shift from injecting heroin to smoking crack, creating new harm-reduction and public health needs. Glasgow seeks to expand the Thistle centre to add enclosed, ventilated booths for crack smokers alongside supervised heroin injection with fresh needles. Local data show needle use falling while smoking rises. Cocaine featured in a large share of recent drug deaths; Scotland's drug death rate remains the highest in Europe. Experts stress smoking may be less risky than injecting but users still require health, social care, housing support and treatment to reduce harm and move off drugs.

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