Alright, so it’s 8.34 am on a Tuesday and Vanessa Paton is taking me on a tour of Glasgow’s east end, where she has been living for almost 50 years. Just half a mile away sits the newly opened taxpayer-funded facility, known as The Thistle, where drug addicts can bring their heroin and cocaine, grab some clean needles, and inject under NHS medical supervision. It’s the first of its kind in the UK, and it’s stirring up some controversy, costing a whopping £2.3m a year. The authorities believe it offers a safer and cleaner space for users to do their thing, away from the grimy, HIV-infected alleys of Glasgow city centre. The place kicked off in January, with about 250 people having used it so far.
The Downside of the Bold Move
Now, there’s this growing feeling among some folks that the aftermath of this bold project is the alleged “war zone” that’s popping up in the community around the new facility. Vanessa Paton, a former council worker, is part of a group of angry locals who are picking up needles in a desperate attempt to clean up their streets. She’s not holding back, saying, “It’s getting worse. The new room shows up, and the issues just keep escalating. It’s practically a no-go war zone every single day and night. The area’s turning into a literal toilet. That’s the harsh reality of it.”
The Ugly Truth Unveiled
Sky News spent the morning exploring areas where things are supposedly spiraling out of control. As we stroll along a path behind a row of houses, Ms. Paton fishes out a bloodied, faeces-covered hospital gown from a bush. Turning the corner to a street where kids play, we’re greeted with syringes filled with blood at our feet, discarded needle packaging, and dirty undies. Yikes. Local resident Angela Scott chimes in, “It’s gotten a lot worse. I’m really scared that if I’m picking up after my dog, I might end up pricking myself with a needle. Am I gonna get some infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they share needles? I don’t want to catch anything infectious.”
The Struggle Continues
Officials are making efforts to tackle the situation, installing a new needle bin in a hotspot and putting up posters advertising the nearby consumption room. Paton alleges that safety measures are even being taken at a nearby nursery, claiming, “There’s a nursery that actually uses a metal detector in the morning to scan the sandpits before the children go out because of the concern of needles being in it.” Calton, the troubled area in question, has been dealing with drug-related issues and crime for quite some time. Paton takes us to a hidden, overgrown space across from social housing and a stone’s throw from a new school under construction. It’s a makeshift drug haven, with hundreds of freshly used needles scattered around like a minefield.
The Battle Against the Needles
One needle is jabbed into a massive tree, and there’s even a wooden seat covered in drug paraphernalia. And guess what? There’s a laminated A4 paper guiding users to The Thistle yet again. Paton grimly states, “We picked up 50 needles in one minute last week. If we were to pick up every needle that’s here today, we’d be talking hundreds. We’re struggling to find a safe spot to stand. There are needles all around us. It’s totally soul-destroying. Nobody living here saw this coming.”
The Council’s Take
Glasgow City Council insists there hasn’t been an uptick in reports, despite claims from the community suggesting otherwise. Councillor Allan Casey, in charge of drug policy in the city, explains, “This has been an ongoing issue, and that’s one of the main reasons why The Thistle is where it is – because there have been discarded needles in public places for decades.” Addressing the alleged rise in problems around the new facility, Casey counters, “Those reports don’t really support that. The council hasn’t seen an increase in reports of injecting equipment or crime reports.”
Scotland’s Struggle Continues
Scotland is facing a drug crisis, boasting the highest drug death rate in Europe. First Minister John Swinney believes the new drug room needs time to show its impact. He says, “The Thistle is a safe consumption facility meant to help people kick the drug habit – that’s its aim. We need to give it time to see how it works out. We gotta engage with the local community and address any concerns.” Despite some residents claiming they’ve contacted the police with worries, it’s reported that the authorities haven’t received any calls about the facility since it opened in January. Inspector Max Shaw from Police Scotland reassures, “We’re aware of the long-standing issues in the area and are working closely to tackle these concerns.”
