Accreditation of the first drug abuse center in the UK
Accreditation of the First Drug abuse Center in the UK
 |
| Drug misuse and addiction can impact the lives of many individuals in varying circumstances. |
Central Governments of Scotland
The move also ended a years-long political dispute between
the central governments of Scotland and London over the legal status of the
issue. The facility
will be set up in Glasgow at a cost of $2.8 million. Here, users will be
allowed to take their medicines in a clean environment.
International Evidence
"There is a large body of international evidence
showing that safe drug use facilities can improve the health, well-being, and
recovery of those who enter the facility," the board said in a statement.
use and can reduce the negative impacts that public
injection drug use has on local populations and businesses." Scotland's
most senior law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, paved the way for approval
of the facility earlier this month, saying that prosecuting people who use such
a facility would be a "public "Interest" will not happen.
HIV Outbreak in Glasgow
The idea was first proposed in 2006 during the HIV outbreak
in Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. A study carried out after the HIV
outbreak found that around 400 to 500 people were injecting drugs in public
places in Glasgow city center.
The Risk of Infection Increases When Injecting in Public Places
According to the board, "Injecting in public places
increases the risk of infection and other drug-related harm, and the public is
also at risk from injecting equipment and needles." Scotland will record
its lowest number of drug-related deaths in five years in 2022, according
to official figures published last month, but the rate is still
higher than in the rest of Europe. The local Scottish government in Edinburgh
is in favor of the facility but some lawmakers are concerned about the impact
on local businesses.
Drug and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham
Scotland's drug and alcohol policy minister Elena Whitham
welcomed the news, saying: "We know this is not a silver bullet. But we
know from evidence
from more than 100 similar facilities around the world that safe drug use
facilities work."
