A LOCAL politician has said it is “encouraging” that a pilot for drug consumption rooms has been given the go-ahead.

It comes after Scotland’s Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC announced it would not be in the public interest for people using a pilot Safer Drug Consumption Room (SDCR) to face prosecution for possession within the facility.

The indication that the Lord Advocate would issue a public statement of prosecution policy removes an obstacle to establishing the first official SDCR in the UK.

It follows her independent consideration of a detailed proposal for a pilot developed by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, and Police Scotland, facilitated by the Scottish Government.

Welcoming the news, Natalie Don MSP for Renfrewshire North and West said: “This announcement from the Lord Advocate is encouraging, and the plans to set up a Safer Drug Consumption facility can now move forward, paving the way for a different approach to drug misuse in Scotland, within our limited powers.

“Whilst we have seen a decrease in drug-related deaths, with statistics sitting at its lowest since 2017, drug misuse deaths are still more common than they were two decades ago. Additionally, here in Renfrewshire, we have the 6th highest number of drug-related deaths in Scotland.

“Every life lost to drugs is a tragedy and the Scottish Government will never underestimate the scale of the challenge it continues to face.

“Radical proposals such as Safer Consumption Facilities, despite still being limited to some extent due to the reserved Misuse of Drugs, will help tackle this issue and ultimately save lives.

“Through the Scottish Government’s £250 million National Mission coupled with the actions we are taking to mitigate poverty, we are doing everything within our powers to tackle drug deaths in Scotland. I hope that this action and determination will make a difference to all those affected by this public health emergency.”