Home > Back yard. An investigation into the feasability of estsblishing drug consumption rooms.

McCulloch, Liz (2017) Back yard. An investigation into the feasability of estsblishing drug consumption rooms. London: Volteface.

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The ACMD and other bodies have recommended that the UK introduces drug consumption rooms (DCRs) to reduce drug-related deaths and other drug-related harms. Drug consumption rooms are professionally supervised healthcare facilities where people can consume drugs in safer conditions.

Robust evidence demonstrates that DCRs are effective in reducing self-reported risk behaviours associated with injection, such as syringe sharing, reaching and staying in contact with highly marginalised target populations, reducing drug-related deaths, increasing uptake of detoxification and drug dependence treatment, decreasing public injecting and reducing the number of syringes discarded in a vicinity. The evidence does not suggest that a DCR increases drug use, frequency of injecting, drug dealing, drug trafficking or drug-related crime in the surrounding environment. A DCR offers numerous benefits to the community and to people who use drugs.

The UK is currently experiencing record numbers of drug-related deaths, particularly among people who use opioids and who are not in drug treatment. These deaths could escalate even further following the emergence of fentanyl, a highly potent opioid which has been linked to at least 60 deaths since December 2016. Call- outs for the removal of drug-related litter are also rising with Leeds, Cardiff, Doncaster, Belfast, Liverpool and Sheffield seeing an increase in the last five years.

Existing policies are failing to meet the needs of the UK’s communities and society’s most vulnerable people. The evidence indicates that DCRs could address this gap in provision, but that there are a number of issues affecting feasibility. This report examines these issues.

The answers lie with the innovations occurring in Glasgow and Dublin. The Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership is currently identifying a site for a DCR, and the Irish Health Service Executive is undergoing a tendering process for a service in Dublin city centre....

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