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Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's fix room bosses post adverts at needle dumping grounds as locals say community is now ‘warzone'
BOSSES at Scotland's fix room are advertising their services at needle dumping grounds as locals again blast authorities over claims their community has been turned into a "warzone". Posters have been put up urging users to attend the controversial Thistle Centre rather than inject on the street. 3 Residents living near the The Thistle in Glasgow are outraged over a spike in needle litter in the area Credit: PA 3 A patch of waste ground in the Calton has become a drug den filled with needles and other drug paraphernalia Credit: Tom Farmer 3 Laminated posters for The Thistle have been stuck up around the area Credit: Tom Farmer And new bins to discard used needles have also been installed by officials in Glasgow's Calton area where locals are up in arms over the state of the area. The Thistle aims to tackle the shocking number of drug deaths in Scotland but has been criticised by people living in the area who have complained about junkie waste in surrounding streets and an increase in antisocial behaviour. Former council worker Vanessa Paton told Sky News: 'It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. "It's a no-go warzone every day and night. The area's becoming a toilet. "That is the harsh reality of it.' And local resident Angela Scott said: 'It's become a lot worse. It's heightened. "I'm scared that if I am picking up my dog's dirt, am I going to prick a needle? "Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? "I don't want to pick up something infectious.' The facility was opened in January this year and welcomed almost 20-users a day during an 'intense' first week of operation. Neil Gray slammed for dismissing drugs litter fears next to Scotland's fix room as 'lies' as footage shows dumped needles and burnt spoons just yards from shoppers SNP ministers approved the centre in 2023, having insisted radical action was needed to tackle the drug deaths crisis in Scotland, with 833 suspected drug deaths between January and September last year. But The Scottish Sun revealed earlier this month how worried nursery staff close to the site are having to scour for needles before allowing children to play. Inspector Max Shaw, from Police Scotland, said: 'We are aware of long-standing issues in the area and continue to work closely in partnership to address these concerns.' Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: 'Out-of-touch SNP politicians are arrogantly dismissing the concerns of local people, who are being left to clean up dirty needles in a desperate bid to keep their streets safe. 'Their flagship drug consumption room is making life a misery for local residents, yet the nationalists are pretending everything's fine. 'We repeatedly warned that pinning their hopes on state-sponsored drug-taking, at huge cost to our overstretched NHS, isn't the silver bullet to tackle this crisis, but in typical SNP fashion they ploughed ahead regardless. 'Scotland already has the worst drugs death rate in Europe – and, since The Thistle opened, suspected fatalities are rising. The SNP's reckless experiment is turning parts of Glasgow into no-go zones. 'Their focus needs to shift from facilitating drug-taking to treatment. John Swinney needs to get off the fence and back the game-changing Right to Recovery bill, which would enshrine in law the right of every Scot to receive the life-saving treatment they need, including residential rehab.' Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government have been contacted for comment.
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Glasgow City Council denies drug consumption room has created a 'war zone' in local neighbourhood
Some residents in the east end of Glasgow have warned the streets around The Thistle have become "a toilet" due to rubbish dumped by drug addicts. Glasgow City Council has been forced to deny the opening of the UK's first drugs consumption room has created a "war zone" in its local neighbourhood. The Thistle opened earlier this year in the Calton district in the east end of the city, following years of campaigning by addiction experts. But some angry residents living nearby now blame the facility for a rise in discarded needles and other drugs paraphernalia being dumped on the surrounding streets. The Thistle allows space for addicts to bring in their own drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, and consume them in a clean environment under the watch of medical professionals. The taxpayer-funded facility opened after years of legal wrangling in an attempt to reduce the number of addicts contracting HIV and other illnesses from sharing used needles. The Record has led the way in calling for a rethink on how drug addiction is tackled in Scotland, supporting a campaign for it to be considered a health issue rather than a criminal one. Around 250 people have used The Thistle so far, which hands out free clean needles for drug use. Vanessa Paton, a long-term resident in Calton, is one of a group of locals who regularly picks-up discarded needles from the streets near her home. "It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. It's a no-go war zone every day and night," she told Sky News. "The area's becoming a toilet. That is the harsh reality of it." Angela Scott, another local resident, told the broadcaster: "It's become a lot worse. It's heightened. I'm scared that if I am picking up my dog dirt am I going to prick a needle. "Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? I don't want to pick up something infectious." Paton added: "We picked up 50 needles in one minute last week. If we were to pick up every needle that is here today, we'd be talking hundreds. "We are struggling to find somewhere safe to stand. There are needles between my legs, you've got needles behind your head. "It's totally soul-destroying. Nobody living here expected it to be this bad." Councillor Allan Casey, who is responsible for drug policy in the city, said: "This has been a long-standing issue and that is one of the main reasons why The Thistle has been placed where it is because there has been decades-long discarded needles in public places. Responding to claims of increasing problems around the new facility, Casey added: "Those reports don't back that up. "The council has not seen a rise in reports of injecting equipment and there has not been an increase in crime reports." The Record has previously reported how there are now calls to open a network of drug consumption rooms across Scotland in an attempt to tackle the country's drugs deaths crisis. Glasgow MSP Annie Wells, drugs spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: "Out-of-touch SNP politicians are arrogantly dismissing the concerns of local people, who are being left to clean up dirty needles in a desperate bid to keep their streets safe. "Their flagship drug consumption room is making life a misery for local residents, yet the nationalists are pretending everything's fine. "We repeatedly warned that pinning their hopes on state-sponsored drug-taking, at huge cost to our overstretched NHS, isn't the silver bullet to tackle this crisis, but in typical SNP fashion they ploughed ahead regardless. "Scotland already has the worst drugs death rate in Europe – and, since The Thistle opened, suspected fatalities are rising. The SNP's reckless experiment is turning parts of Glasgow into no-go zones."
Sky News
26-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Living beside the UK's first drug consumption room
It's 8.34am on a Tuesday and Vanessa Paton is taking me on a tour of Glasgow's east end, where she has lived for almost 50 years. Half a mile away sits the newly opened taxpayer-funded facility, named The Thistle, where drug addicts can bring their heroin and cocaine, are handed clean needles and invited to inject under NHS medical supervision. The concept, a UK first, is controversial and costs £2.3m a year. Authorities believe it provides a safer, cleaner area for users to do their business, away from the dirty, HIV-ridden back alleys of Glasgow city centre. It opened in January, and around 250 people have used it so far. But there is a growing feeling among some that a by-product of this bold project is the alleged "war zone" being created in the community around the new building. Former council worker Ms Paton is one of an ad-hoc group of furious locals who pick up needles as part of desperate efforts to clear their streets. She says: "It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. It's a no-go war zone every day and night. "The area's becoming a toilet. That is the harsh reality of it." 'It is disgusting' Sky News spends the morning being shown areas where it is claimed the issues are getting out of control. Ms Paton pulls a bloodied, faeces-covered hospital gown out of a bush as we walk along a path behind a row of houses. We turn the corner to a street where children play and are greeted with syringes filled with blood at our feet, discarded needle packaging and dirty underwear. Local resident Angela Scott says: "It's become a lot worse. It's heightened. I'm scared that if I am picking up my dog dirt am I going to prick a needle. "Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? I don't want to pick up something infectious." Adverts installed in known drug dens Officials have installed a new needle bin in one hotspot in recent days, with posters erected advertising the nearby consumption room. Ms Paton alleges safety steps are being taken at a nearby nursery. "There is a nursery that actually uses a metal detector in the morning to scan the sandpits before the children go out because of the concern of the needles being in it," she claims. This area is known as Calton and has had its troubles with drug taking and crime for many years. Ms Paton takes us to a tucked-away, overgrown area opposite social housing and a few metres from where a new school is being built. It is a makeshift drug den. There are hundreds of freshly used needles. It is like a minefield. One needle is stabbed into a large tree, there is even a wooden seat which is covered in drug-taking equipment. Once again, there is a laminated A4 piece of paper pointing users in the direction of The Thistle. Ms Paton says: "We picked up 50 needles in one minute last week. If we were to pick up every needle that is here today, we'd be talking hundreds. "We are struggling to find somewhere safe to stand. There are needles between my legs, you've got needles behind your head. "It's totally soul-destroying. Nobody living here expected it to be this bad." Officials deny it is a new problem Glasgow City Council told Sky News there had not been an increase in reports despite the community alleging the opposite. Councillor Allan Casey, who is responsible for drug policy in the city, said: "This has been a long-standing issue and that is one of the main reasons why The Thistle has been placed where it is because there has been decades-long discarded needles in public places. Responding to claims of increasing problems around the new facility, Mr Casey said: "Those reports don't back that up. "The council has not seen a rise in reports of injecting equipment and there has not been an increase in crime reports." Scotland is ravaged by drugs. The country has the worst drug death rate in Europe. Scotland's first minister John Swinney told Sky News the new drug room required time to "see the impact". He said: "The Thistle is a safe consumption facility which is designed to encourage people to come off the use of drugs - that's its purpose. We've got to give that venture time to see the impact. "We need to engage with the local community… and address any concerns." It is understood police have logged no calls about the facility since it opened in January, despite some residents suggesting they have contacted officers with concerns.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Heroin shooting gallery neighbours warn streets are now littered with needles
Scotland's first heroin 'shooting gallery' has been blamed for a rise in crime and drugs paraphernalia littering the streets. The Thistle opened in January with the aim of allowing addicts to inject their own drugs under medical supervision. It was also hoped that it would lead to fewer discarded syringes in public areas - but furious residents living nearby claim it has had the opposite effect. Statistics for its first nine weeks revealed 168 individuals had used the service and that 17 medical emergencies had been 'managed and resolved'. Residents in the Calton area of Glasgow said the clinic had led to a growing number of needles left in the streets and an influx of users travelling in from other parts of the city. Dozens spoke about their experiences at a community-organised meeting about its impact. One pensioner who did not want to be named told LBC: '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 (drug-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.' Another resident, Vanessa Paton, said there were 'needles galore' and that she had 'seen the difference in the last couple of months', adding: '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.' Another woman told the group: 'There's people on the streets who get aggressive to you - I've had to start keeping a baseball bat behind my door.' Linda Watson said: 'We have had more drug-dealers and users in the areas and, on the number of needles, we never particularly noticed them before, we knew they were around, but now everywhere you walk on the pavements and in the bushes (you see them). 'And actually a lot of people are just standing hitting up in front of you - not trying to hide it. 'There were drug-dealers and users here before, but it's all strange faces here now and more (of them) in the area now. 'They're not keeping their promise of cleaning up the place… it has actually made it quite impossible to live here now'. Angela Scott agreed: 'You used to see the odd needle but not on this level. 'I've been here for three years and yes this place could have its issues but you tended to know people and it was all right. 'You knew the users - but now they're coming from all over the city because of the room and coming out (on the streets).' Proposals discussed included a march through the streets, a demonstration where needles would be dumped at the Scottish parliament, and creating a panel of local residents. A spokesman 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.' Health Secretary Neil Gray said: 'I recognise local people's concerns and we are addressing them through ongoing needle uplift operations, with plans to expand public needle disposal bins beyond the city centre to other affected areas. 'As part of its harm-reduction service, the Thistle provides the same kits as all city-wide needle exchange services. 'Research and evaluation from similar facilities around the world has found consistent evidence that they can help save and improve lives, reduce harms associated with drug use and levels of public drug consumption and publicly discarded drug-related litter.'
Glasgow Times
01-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow residents say consumption room has led to 'influx of crime'
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. READ NEXT: Missing pooch after crash saw two people and seven dogs treated by medics 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." READ NEXT: CID and police remain at East Kilbride pitches after pair treated by medics 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. READ NEXT: Man found seriously injured after 'disturbance' in street 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.
