'Astonishing' sum spent on needle bins in Glasgow revealed

The Herald Scotland

5 days ago

They cost the partnership - a multi-agency group including the council, police and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - £2,500 per bin, according to a freedom of information request.
In June, Glasgow City Council took to social media to respond to local concerns about a "public injecting site".
The authority said it had cleared the site on derelict land in Calton and removed discarded needles safely.
The Thistle, the UK's first drug consumption room giving those struggling with addiction a safe place to inject drugs, opened in the east of Glasgow in January.
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It has supervised 3,600 injecting episodes since it opened as well as tackling around 40 medical emergencies, which can include administering Naloxone - an emergency overdose reversal drug - or even resuscitation.
The bins, costing the partnership £5,000 for the Calton area where the safe consumption room is based, were installed in response to local concerns. However, there are more bins across the city centre.
It comes as The Herald previously revealed a number of significant complaints relating to abandoned needles and syringes in the vicinity of The Thistle site, on Glasgow's Hunter Street, since the safe drug consumption room opened in January.
Annie Wells, drugs spokeswoman for the Scottish Tories, said: "Local residents will be shocked to hear the SNP-led council shelled out £5,000 on these two needle bins.
"Despite the astonishing sum spent, they are doing little to help those living near The Thistle, who are having to put themselves in harms way to pick up dirty needles.
In response to local concerns we have been clearing a public injecting site on derelict land in Calton.
Discarded needles safely removed and disposed of, overgrowth cut back and other waste lifted.
Needle bins also installed at sites where we know public injecting takes place. pic.twitter.com/MQ4X7FuCN1 — Glasgow City Council (@GlasgowCC) June 6, 2025
"We repeatedly warned that the SNP shouldn't have pinned their hopes on state-sponsored drug taking, at huge cost to our overstretched NHS, as the answer to Scotland's drug deaths crisis, but in typical nationalist fashion they ploughed ahead regardless.
"Scotland already has the highest drug fatality rate in Europe and since The Thistle opened, suspected fatalities are rising. This project isn't helping those with addiction and is making the local community and no-go zone.
"It's just common sense that the focus needs to shift from facilitating drug-taking to treating addiction.
"John Swinney needs to get off the fence and back the Right to Recovery Bill, which would enshrine in law a right to treatment and a potential game-changer in reducing Scotland's drug deaths toll."
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We know discarded needles cause concern and it has been a long-standing issue in Calton and surrounding areas.
'The installation of two bins followed a successful pilot initiative in the city centre and money was made available by the Alcohol and Drug Partnership for additional bins in other areas.
'Evaluation of the pilot indicated high usage rates, favourable feedback from local businesses, and a positive impact on the local environment.
'The Thistle service has now seen over 3,600 injecting episodes which has diverted the needles used away from the community.
'A safer environment has also been provided for users that reduces harm and the need for emergency responses.
'We want local residents to report issues with discarded needles so the needles can be removed safely and disposed of appropriately.
'Our staff are working in Calton every day and we can respond promptly to any reports we receive.'
The Herald recently revealed there had been 175 complaints relating to drug paraphernalia on the streets within a one-mile radius of the drug consumption room between January and May 20, 2025.
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The number of suspected drug deaths between March and May of this year increased by 15% compared to the previous 13 weeks, according to public data released earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Mail reported that heroin dealers caught selling the lethal drug have been let off with fines of less than £500, despite 1,065 deaths last year.
Between 2022 and 2023, 1,489 people were in Scotland were convicted of drug dealing, however official figures also showed that less than a third of those convicted with dealing offences received a jail sentence.
Around 800 people received community service while more than 200 were fined.
The average fine for dealing heroin was £499 in 2022-23, while cannabis was £485, £503 for ecstasy and £719 for cocaine.
The Scottish Government said it takes the issue of drug dealing "very seriously", adding it was "determined to tackle drug harms".
A spokesman added: 'Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts, taking into account all the facts and circumstances before them.'