Scottish ministers are considering a change to the law banning smoking in public places to allow drug users to smoke crack cocaine in supervised facilities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The move follows a significant increase in users switching from injecting heroin to smoking crack, which health experts say presents new challenges and opportunities for harm reduction.
Glasgow officials have told the Scottish government they want to expand the Thistle centre, the UK's first official drugs consumption room, to include enclosed, ventilated booths for crack smokers. Kelda Gaffney, Glasgow's chief social work officer, described the addition of a smoking room as 'critical' to the centre's success, noting that cocaine use—both injected and smoked—is rising and that smoking is becoming more common than injecting.
Drug policy experts argue that smoking drugs is often less risky than injecting, but users still require health, social care and housing support, as well as help to quit. The proposal is part of efforts to tackle Scotland's record drug death rate, the worst in Europe, with cocaine implicated in nearly half of the 1,017 deaths last year.
Legal barriers remain, however. The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, with fines of up to £1,000 for individuals and £2,500 for premises. Additionally, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 criminalises drug use. Since the Home Office refuses to amend the 1971 Act, Scottish ministers would need Dorothy Bain, the lord advocate, to extend a waiver shielding users from prosecution, similar to the one already in place for heroin injection at the Thistle centre.
Edinburgh is also considering a safe consumption facility, with a spokesperson saying the business case is still being developed and that a smoking room is likely to be considered. Scotland's drug and alcohol policy minister, Maree Todd, confirmed that officials are working closely with Glasgow, Police Scotland and the Crown Office to explore options, but did not commit to revising the smoking ban legislation.
The Crown Office stated that the lord advocate would consider any request to extend the waiver, but a full response requires complete details. The Scottish Drugs Forum said the smoking ban and criminalisation create a 'double barrier' for supporting crack users, leaving them in legal limbo.
