A report into the creation of a Drug Checking Service (DCS) and Safer Drug Consumption Facilities (SDCF) has recommended continued progress towards further combating a rise in drug-related deaths in the city.
In 2023, drug-related deaths in the city rose from 109 to 113 despite decreasing across the rest of Scotland.
A previous feasibility study into Edinburgh’s SDCF and DCS schemes highlighted that they would help to reduce overdoses in the city, tackle stigma, and provide a better quality of care with more engagement between staff and users.
Produced by the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership (EADP), the latest report recommended the introduction of facilities in “hotspots” across the city, such as the Old Town, Leith, and Dalry.
It also emphasised the importance of funding.
Funding estimates, based on a similar project in Glasgow, range from from £1 million to £2.3 million though the Scottish Government has yet to commit financial support.
Assessing the legal impact of the schemes, the report has clarified that a DCS would require a Home Office licence to legally handle drugs, while the Lord Advocate would need to agree not to prosecute those using safer consumption facilities.
An application by the Edinburgh Council has already been submitted to the Home Office for a DCS licence after a previous delay in receiving ethical clearance for elements of the research with hopes the scheme will be launched next year.
Lord Advocate Dorthothy Bain KC, the Scottish Government’s principal legal adviser has already declared it “not be in the public interest” to prosecute for simple possession offences in relation to the Glaswegian scheme.
The pilot SDCF scheme in Glasgow, known as the Thistle, was initially scheduled to open in October but has been pushed back due to building checks with the new opening date yet to be announced.
Its eventual launch is expected to influence plans in Edinburgh.
The report was scheduled for consideration at a meeting of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, a committee with oversight of a number of the city’s health and social care services, on 1 November but was not heard.
every further delay is further drug deaths
In response to the ongoing delays, Safe Consumption Edinburgh (SCE), a community advocacy group, told The Student that “ every further delay is further drug deaths”.
Dean Cairns, an SCE campaign member and Leith resident whose father lost his life after battling substance dependence, added:
“Implementing SCFs will help stem the tide of preventable deaths, offering hope to those who feel left behind.”
He noted that they offer a “proven model” for reducing the risk of overdosing and help users “take that first step away from drug addiction”.
“It is high time for [elected representatives] to get their fingers out,” he stated.
Students at the University of Edinburgh had mixed reactions to the proposals, with one expressing concern to The Student that SCFs would promote an “unhealthy reliance on drugs for addicts”.
However, another student welcomed the findings, saying that:
“[SCF’s] ability to create bonds between health professionals and users of these services would allow for an honest conversation on the impact of using drugs.”
“Edinburgh City Chambers” by mattk1979 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.