A report by the Scottish Affairs Committee urges that funding for The Thistle in Glasgow should not come at the expense of other harm‑reduction efforts. It calls for the three‑year pilot to be evaluated by independent experts before the UK Government decides on its future.

Opened in January, The Thistle provides a supervised space for people to take illegal substances such as heroin and cocaine in a hygienic setting, with the aim of reducing public drug use and tackling Scotland’s high drug‑related death rate, which remains the worst in Europe. The committee says the facility is unlikely to affect national or city‑wide death rates, though it may reduce deaths locally. It adds that concerns from nearby residents should be taken seriously and a rapid, responsive communication strategy should be put in place. The report also says the introduction of a room for inhaling rather than injecting should be considered for The Thistle.

Patricia Ferguson, chairwoman of the committee, said: “Scotland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe. Without a doubt, this is the most pressing public health issue facing the nation and things need to change urgently to stop more people dying. The Thistle could be one way of helping Scotland do this. If the facility, after its three-year pilot, is shown to be effective at tackling drug-related harm, we’re urging the UK Government to follow the evidence, and take the legislative action needed to create a proper legal framework that will ensure it can run and be regulated properly.” She continued: “However, we also recognise that The Thistle is not a silver bullet. Our report emphasises that this pilot shouldn’t come at the cost of other recovery services – rather, they should operate in tandem to offer as much help as possible to people with problem drug use.” The report also urged the Home Office to urgently complete its assessment of The Thistle for a drug‑checking licence.

Holyrood drugs policy minister Maree Todd said: “Drug deaths in Scotland are down 13% and at the lowest level since 2017. The Scottish Government’s national mission to tackle drug harms means we have already spearheaded evidence-based harm reduction. Since opening, the Thistle has been recognised by the Global Commission on Drug Policy and has responded to a number of on-site overdose incidents – I have no doubt that lives have been saved. Evidence from similar facilities around the world has found that safer drug consumption rooms can reduce harms, levels of public drug consumption and publicly-discarded drug-related litter. The UK overall is a clear outlier in Europe for drugs deaths and in Scotland we are already working hard together with organisations to tackle the challenge head-on, for example through creating more residential rehabilitation beds and widening access to naloxone. However, the challenges we face will require clear four-nation approaches, particularly given many areas of drugs policy remain reserved to the UK Government.”