The United Kingdom’s first drug intake health facility has been used greater than 130 occasions because it opened final week.
The More secure Medication Intake Facility in Glasgow opened on 13 January, letting other people take elements beneath supervision.
Councillor Allan Casey, town convener for habit products and services, mentioned it have been an “intense first week” for body of workers, with the provider getting used a complete of 131 occasions.
There have been no clinical emergencies because of drug use throughout the facility – referred to as the Thistle – within the first seven days.
The 131 determine contains individuals who used the provider on a couple of instance.
It’s was hoping that the health facility can scale back deadly and non-fatal overdoses by way of offering a secure and blank position for other people to make use of medication, whilst additionally giving other people additional strengthen to deal with their habit.
In addition to more secure injecting amenities, customers have been supplied with wound care, blank injecting apparatus and naloxone as required.
A spokesperson for the ability mentioned some customers had already engaged with housing and drug remedy strengthen.
Mr Casey added that the health facility had made a “promising get started” since opening.
He added: “It is been an intense first week for the staff as all eyes are on Glasgow.
“I’m extremely joyful to listen to persons are applying all of the amenities to be had on the Thistle.
“We all know this isn’t a silver bullet – however having a facility this is secure, hygienic and medically supervised will pass far in opposition to lowering drug-related overdoses, injection-related wounds and infections, and the adverse affect that injecting outdoor has on native communities.”
The power used to be first proposed for Glasgow in 2016 however years of dialogue between the Scottish and UK governments than ensued.
The power used to be in the end licensed within the autumn of 2023, with working prices anticipated to achieve just about £7m over the following 3 years.
It’s positioned within the town’s Hunter Boulevard, subsequent to a health facility the place 23 long-term drug customers are lately prescribed pharmaceutical heroin.
A prior record by way of the NHS estimated roughly 400 to 500 other people” used medication publicly within the town centre regularly, whilst Scotland has constantly had the absolute best selection of drug dying overdoses in Europe.
The United Kingdom executive mentioned in 2023 it didn’t intend to open any clinics in other places, however would no longer intrude within the Glasgow plan.
