logo
Drugs campaigner Peter Krykant dies, aged 48

Drugs campaigner Peter Krykant dies, aged 48

Yahooa day ago

A prominent Scottish drugs campaigner who set up a safe consumption bus has died.
Peter Krykant, a former heroin addict, became a public figure after he set up an unofficial supervised facility in a van which he took around Glasgow.
Krykant often talked about his own battles with addiction, admitting he started taking drugs when he was just 11 and speaking out about a relapse in 2021.
Police confirmed the 48-year-old's death was being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course.
A Police Scotland Sotland spokesperson said: "Around 5.15pm on Monday, 9 June 2025, police attended an address in Graham Avenue, Larbert following a report of a concern for person.
"The body of a 48-year-old man was found within. His next of kin has been informed."
Mr Krykant started taking drugs when he was 11 and began to inject heroin at the age of 17, but stopped using drugs for 11 years.
He went on to open a mobile unit in a converted van with the aim of preventing overdoses and the spread of blood-borne viruses among users in Scotland.
He was arrested in 2020 after launching his "safe space" where users could take their own drugs under medical supervision. Charges against him were later dropped.
Earlier this year The Thistle, the UK's first and only drug consumption room opened in the East End of Glasgow in an effort to reduce drug deaths.
Krykant ran for election as an independent candidate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, campaigning on drug policy issues.
He later said the "cut-throat" world of politics along with the pressure of running the consumption bus caused him to relapse into drug use.
'Fix room' campaigner relapsed after 11 years

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights
Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Timeline of deadly plane crashes involving UK flights

The Air India crash on Thursday was one of the deadliest incidents in history involving a UK flight. Here is a timeline of some of the previous worst crashes involving flights to or from UK airports. – June 1967 A British Midland flight crashed in Stockport, a short distance from Manchester airport, carrying holidaymakers returning from Majorca, Spain. The incident killed 72 people. – November 1967 All 37 people onboard Iberia Airlines flight 062 from Malaga, Spain, to Heathrow died when it crashed into Blackdown Hill in West Sussex. – January 1969 Fifty people died when an Ariana Afghan Airlines plane crashed on approach to Gatwick airport. – June 1972 A British European Airways plane crashed in Staines, Surrey, shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport. All 118 passengers and crew died. – August 1985 A British Airtours plane bound for Corfu, Greece, caught fire on the runway at Manchester airport. Eighty people escaped but 55 were killed, mostly by smoke inhalation. – December 1988 All 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded above the Scottish town of Lockerbie 40 minutes into its flight from London Heathrow to New York. It remains the UK's deadliest terrorist atrocity. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only man convicted in relation to the bombing. – January 1989 Forty-seven people were killed and 67 were seriously injured when a British Midland 737 plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at East Midlands airport following an engine fire. It struck the M1 in Kegworth after failing to reach the runway.

Drugs campaigner Peter Krykant dies, aged 48
Drugs campaigner Peter Krykant dies, aged 48

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Drugs campaigner Peter Krykant dies, aged 48

A prominent Scottish drugs campaigner who set up a safe consumption bus has died. Peter Krykant, a former heroin addict, became a public figure after he set up an unofficial supervised facility in a van which he took around Glasgow. Krykant often talked about his own battles with addiction, admitting he started taking drugs when he was just 11 and speaking out about a relapse in 2021. Police confirmed the 48-year-old's death was being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course. A Police Scotland Sotland spokesperson said: "Around 5.15pm on Monday, 9 June 2025, police attended an address in Graham Avenue, Larbert following a report of a concern for person. "The body of a 48-year-old man was found within. His next of kin has been informed." Mr Krykant started taking drugs when he was 11 and began to inject heroin at the age of 17, but stopped using drugs for 11 years. He went on to open a mobile unit in a converted van with the aim of preventing overdoses and the spread of blood-borne viruses among users in Scotland. He was arrested in 2020 after launching his "safe space" where users could take their own drugs under medical supervision. Charges against him were later dropped. Earlier this year The Thistle, the UK's first and only drug consumption room opened in the East End of Glasgow in an effort to reduce drug deaths. Krykant ran for election as an independent candidate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, campaigning on drug policy issues. He later said the "cut-throat" world of politics along with the pressure of running the consumption bus caused him to relapse into drug use. 'Fix room' campaigner relapsed after 11 years

CNN Reporter Mocked For Noting 'The Smell Of Weed Is In The Air' At LA ICE Protests
CNN Reporter Mocked For Noting 'The Smell Of Weed Is In The Air' At LA ICE Protests

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

CNN Reporter Mocked For Noting 'The Smell Of Weed Is In The Air' At LA ICE Protests

A CNN reporter is going viral for an offhand comment he made Tuesday about cannabis while covering protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies in Los Angeles. During a segment at a protest site, reporter Nick Watt described the scene for viewers, claiming at one point that he saw 'some people who I would suggest might be interested in causing some trouble a little later on,' who were in masks and swimming goggles 'for the tear gas.' The Scottish-born Watt also noted graffiti reading 'F Trump' on a building being guarded by National Guardsmen and noted that 'the mood in the crowd is getting more agitated' as the clock moved closer to the 8 p.m. curfew declared by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. But it was his next comment that lit a fire on social media' 'The smell of weed is in the air,' he said. 'People are not looking at all, Abby, like they are gonna abide by this curfew and get out of here,' he said. Watt's weed comments were mocked on social media because marijuana has been legal in California since 2016 and ― like it or not ― it's common to smell it even in places where there aren't massive protests. Also, while Watt's comments may have sounded as if he were hinting that tensions between protesters and the Guardsmen might lead to violence, many people pointed out that cannabis just tends to make people really mellow. HuffPost reached out to Watt for comment, but he did not immediately respond. However, his cannabis comments lit a fire on social media. Cannabis Industry Cautiously Optimistic It Won't Be Burned By Trump LA Police Swiftly Enforce Downtown Curfew As Protests Against Trump's Immigration Crackdown Continue Dozens Of Journalists Targeted, Shot, Detained While Covering LA Protests, Press Org Says

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store