Wednesday August 27th 2025
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
A decision on whether to approve plans for a consultation on a new safe drugs consumption room in Edinburgh has been delayed until September.
A meeting of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board on Tuesday revealed that the likely site of any facility would be in the Old Town.
In a report to councillors and health and social care bosses, Cowgate and Spittal Street were listed as the two most likely locations.
A decision on a public consultation over the sites was delayed after the report was filed to decision makers late – but work will continue on in the background in advance of the decision being made.
Leith had previously been considered, but was struck out due to data analysis finding that more drug-related health issues took place in the city centre.
If it goes ahead, the safe consumption room would be the second in Scotland, after the Thistle site in Glasgow.
It would have seven booths for injecting drugs, as well as a ‘post use’ area where support can be provided.
The report said that the booths would be monitored by trained staff, with the facility open between eight and 12 hours per day, seven days a week.
It also said that the option of supporting the inhalation of drugs was being explored.
The report itself was apparently filed on the weekend, with one campaigner and several attendees not being able to review it until late Monday evening.
Members of the Safe Consumption Edinburgh group were in attendance for a deputation, with one saying: “Scotland’s drug crisis continues to be one of the worst in the world.
“We have the highest drug death rates in the whole of Europe. Each year people watch in horror as their families and communities are torn apart.
“Too many people are dying because there are no supervised places in which those who use drugs can take them in a managed, safe environment.
“Every day without such a facility is another day where a friend, a son, a daughter, a mother or father, auntie or uncle died unnecessarily.”
Conservative councillor Max Mitchell said he was confused as to what the board was being asked to decide, and commented on the lateness of the report.
Convener and Labour councillor Tim Pogson said: “We are being asked to agree that officers will work up a plan in order to consult on this proposal.
“That is the extent of the commitment we are being asked to make at this time.
“We’re not getting into the detail, we’re getting into that later when we see the proposed plan for the consultation.”
He also acknowledged that the report had been “very, very late”.
After discussion, members supported delaying a decision until September’s meeting of the board.
Officers will continue working on plans for a consultation, ahead of a formal decision to go or not go being made then.
If approved, a report on what shape the consultation will take would be submitted for November’s board meeting.
Tweet Share on Facebook
