Glasgow residents say consumption room has led to 'influx of crime'

Glasgow Times

01-05-2025

Those living in the Calton area are claiming The Thistle has led to an "out of control" situation with needles left in the street and users coming from across the city, LBC reports.
The safer drug consumption facility opened on Hunter Street in January this year, allowing users to bring and take illegal substances such as heroin with officials hoping that providing a safe space, clean equipment, and medical supervision will lead to fewer drug-related deaths in the city.
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At a community-organised meeting earlier this week that LBC had exclusive access to, residents spoke about the facility's impact on the area since it opened.
One pensioner, who asked to remain anonymous, told LBC there are more needles in the area since it opened and that some older residents no longer want to leave their homes at night.
They said: "We have every sympathy for them [service users], but we were told there would be fewer needles.
"There's not. There are more and more needles going about.
"They said it wouldn't attract drug users from other districts. It is."
They continued: "Around our pensioner clubs, nobody is coming out at night. And if they do, they're back at 9pm because that place shuts at 9pm and then they [service users] are all coming out here.
"It's not just a wee crowd, it is a lot. They come up the street, up the lane, and along the square, and we are getting more and more."
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Vanessa Paton, who lives in the area, said since the facility opened it's a "nightmare" and feels like "Victorian times".
She said: "These issues were not there before. I've seen the difference in the last couple of months.
"There's been at least four needles with blood in them dumped under my partner's window. Users trying to get into the area at night.
"You feel as if you're living in a ghetto. That was not happening [before].
"It's getting beyond a joke. The volume of them [needles] is just getting out of hand.
"You're scared to walk your dog in case they step on one."
Other claims residents made are people have been seen urinating in gardens and defecating by a garden gate, people have been aggressive towards residents, and there are "more drug dealers" in the area.
LBC reports cllr Cecilia O'Lone said she thought the consumption room was in the wrong place and vowed to help residents with whatever action they wanted to take next.
Proposals discussed by residents at the meeting included a march through the streets, a demonstration where needles would be dumped at Parliament, and creating a panel of local residents.
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A spokesperson for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership said: "We have a community forum set up and running specifically for residents and businesses to discuss with officers any concerns and allow us an opportunity to address them.
"It is well-known that public injecting has been taking place in close proximity to the Thistle and within the Calton area for many years - well before the service opened.
"It is one of the reasons for the facility being where it is.
"We are monitoring the impact of the service and to date, there has been no notable increase in discarded needles reported to us in the area since the Thistle opened.
"However, this and the community's experience will be fully measured and reported on as part of the service evaluation."
We previously reported Cllr Alan Casey, who leads on homelessness and addiction services, criticised "disinformation" around The Thistle after Cllr Thomas Kerr said residents were facing a "horrific" situation "because of the new drug consumption facility" and called for a clean-up.
Cllr Casey said the council has been aware of public injecting at that site for years, with regular clean-ups carried out and there is no evidence of an increase in discarded needles since the Thistle opened.
In response to Cllr Kerr's comments, Cllr Casey said the council has "evidence going back years that there have been problems at that site" and they are "part of the reason for the location of the site".
He added: "It is critical for the site that it is in a location that already has significant public injecting."
The Glasgow Times reported in March that The Thistle was used more than 1000 times in its first seven weeks.