INVERCLYDE MP Ronnie Cowan – vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on drug policy reform and medical cannabis under prescription – considers in his Catalan diary how Catalonia is dealing with its drug problem.
SAFE drug consumption rooms (SDCRs) have been used in several countries to try to control problematic use.
Glasgow City Council in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been investigating the opening of such a facility in Glasgow but have been thwarted by the existing laws.
I previously visited facilities in Portugal where they have decriminalised drugs and adopted a health-based approach to problematic users. This year, I visited the SDCR in Barcelona but first I talked to the staff at the Public Health Agency of Catalonia. They emphasised the need to adopt a humane approach to problematic drug use. They have opened 11 SDCRs in Catalonia. Nobody is imprisoned for possession of drugs for personal use – estimated at around one week’s supply.
The attitude there is that SDCRs are part of the primary care package available to all citizens, including immigrants, legal or illegal.
I visited three SDCRs under the supervision of public health officer Xavier Major. The first was part of a health centre in the middle of a housing scheme with a large Gypsy population.
Many people were there to visit their own GP practice with the usual ailments. The others fell into one of three categories: homeless people to whom the centre offers clean clothes, showers and a social worker, along with kindness and caring; people who are injecting but don’t want to engage with the social services and are provided with needles, wipes, a tray to mix their drugs and condoms; and those injecting drugs who are happy to use the SDCR. The latter are given the same materials, but there is a greater opportunity to talk with users and build a care package for them. The needles and wipes do not leave the room and can’t contaminate the surrounding area. When needles and condoms are provided, the risk of transmitting or catching HIV, Hepatitis C or any other blood-borne virus is greatly reduced. Of the 180,000 needles handed out, 110,000 are returned safely after use. Last year there were 86,000 consumptions on site and 136 overdoses. Due to the adoption of a naloxone programme, nobody died.
I was heartened to hear the programme came about after input from Kirsten Horsburgh at the Scottish Drugs Forum. It takes 11 members of staff to run the facility. I was surprised to see that across the road was a primary school and behind that a police station. However, here in Barcelona the community accepts problematic drug use as a health issue and that is reflected in its approach.
The second SDCR I visited was a smaller version of the first but was integrated into a psychiatric hospital and is run by psychiatrists. The last was the bright yellow mobile unit which parks in specific areas at the same time each day. It reminded me of a smaller version of the mobile blood donation units we have.
All three units were staffed by marvellous people who treat their clients with care and compassion. They save lives and help put them back together again. It’s time we changed the law in the UK to allow access to such facilities. People are dying waiting.
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