Wales drug use rooms could save addicts' lives - claim

Portugal's consumption rooms embody the country's "harm reduction" approach to drugs

Wales should follow Scotland's drug room trials to combat rising deaths, according to the chairman of the Senedd's cross-party addiction group.

Glasgow will this year open the UK's first facility where addicts can take and test their drugs in safety.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show drug-related deaths in Wales have been rising since 1993.

A UK government spokesman said it had "significant concerns" over plans for drug rooms.

Glasgow's Integration Joint Board, which brings together NHS and council officials, ratified the plans for the city in September.

Drug addiction expert Gwydion ap Siencyn estimated at any one time some 400-500 people were publicly taking drugs there.

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He moved to Glasgow from Wales more than 20 years ago to help people with addictions.

"Glasgow is particularly bad in Scotland, and Scotland is particularly bad in Europe," he said.

Drug addiction expert Gwydion ap Siencyn says people who use safe drug rooms are more likely to seek help

The east end of the city was especially problematic, he said.

"It's where the majority of the homeless population live," Mr ap Siencyn added.

The issue was an epidemic, Mr ap Siencyn said, and he welcomed the opening of new drug facilities in Scotland this year.

He said evidence showed people who used safe drug consumption facilities (SCFs) were more likely to seek help in future.

In Europe there are more than 80 SCFs across 16 countries.

Former North Wales Police commissioner Arfon Jones, who visited one in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2016, said: "We need these rooms where they can go and take drugs, and if something does go wrong people will be there to save their lives".

Scottish government drugs minister, Elena Whitham, said a change in culture was at the heart of improving help for users

Peredur Owen Griffiths, chairman of the Senedd's cross -party group on substance misuse and addiction, said: "We've tried the war on drugs, and it hasn't worked. We need to look at a different approach to international examples of things that do work."

Criminalising addicts should end, he said, adding that he could see a trial working in Wales.

Scottish government drugs minister Elena Whitham said a change in culture was at the heart of improving help for users.

"We will be the first in the UK context to do so (which) means people will be looking at us to see how that works out," she said.

"And I'm happy to work shoulder-to-shoulder with any progressive minds across these islands that seek to deliver the same type of public response."

The Welsh government said the issue was not devolved and thus a UK government matter.

But a spokesman added it was "committed to reducing the harm caused by drug misuse".

The UK government said it had concerns about drug consumption rooms.

Former North Wales Police commissioner Arfon Jones also backed drug consumption rooms

"We have significant concerns that they risk condoning and encouraging drug misuse, undermining both our efforts to reduce the number of users and stem the criminal supply," a spokesman said.

"As set out in the drugs strategy, we are committed to building a stronger UK-wide approach and working collaboratively to prevent deaths and the wider harms caused by drugs."

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