Kirsten Horsburgh, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Drugs Forum, says: “The opening of The Thistle was an important step forward – not only for Glasgow, but for Scotland and the rest if the UK as a whole. Its staff should be commended for all they have done to deliver this life-saving service, often against a difficult backdrop.
“Now, we must turn our attention to what comes next. Glasgow is seeking approval to introduce an inhalation space in The Thistle, reflecting the significant harms associated with crack cocaine use.
“This must be approved and implemented with urgency. Without this harm reduction intervention, people who use crack cocaine are at continued and significant risk of preventable injuries, infections and other serious health harms.
“Looking at the wider picture, the lessons learned from The Thistle must now be applied at scale. A single facility cannot be expected to reverse a public health crisis decades in the making. Scotland needs a national network of multi-model safer drug consumption facilities if we are to protect life and reduce harm now.”