Wales is gearing up
to offer medically
supervised injecting
centres – an initiative that can’t
happen soon enough, says
Ifor Glyn
July/August 2016 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 21
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THERE IS A GROWING ACCEPTANCE AND EVIDENCE
that providing safe
and supervised injecting centres is a recognised harm reduction initiative
that can lead to saving lives, encourage engagement with treatment
services, and help reduce HIV and hepatitis C infections. They also address
public concerns about discarded needles and public injecting, and do not
attract drug users en masse from other areas.
According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction (EMCDDA), the first supervised drug consumption room was
opened in Berne, Switzerland in June 1986, with further facilities
following in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Luxembourg,
Denmark and Greece. There are now 74 official drug consumption
facilities operating in six EMCDDA reporting countries (following the
closure of the only facility in Greece in 2014) and 12 facilities now
operating in Switzerland.
The EMCDDA breaks this down further, to point out that as of
February 2016 there are 31 facilities in 25 cities in the Netherlands; 24 in
15 cities in Germany; 12 in three cities in Spain; one in Norway; and one
in Luxembourg (Norway and Luxembourg are both preparing to open a
second facility in 2016); five in three cities in Denmark; and 12 in eight
cities in Switzerland.
In January, French law approved a six-year trial of drug consumption
rooms, expected to open by the end of this year. Outside Europe there are
two facilities in Sydney, Australia and one medically supervised injecting
centre in Vancouver, Canada.
There are plans to open the first centre in Dublin in later this year, and
Scotland is also exploring the introduction of Medically Supervised
Injecting Centre (MSIC). Even though there have been robust attempts to
establish similar centres in the UK, there still no provision, despite the UK
Home Affairs Select Committee recommendation ‘that an evaluated pilot
programme of safe injecting houses for heroin users is established
without delay and that if this is successful, the programme is extended
across the country.’ The home secretary rejected this recommendation.
Wales is a country with a strong and unequivocal commitment to
HARM REDUCTION
reducing the harm associated with substance misuse. The devolved
Welsh government has harm reduction firmly embedded in its
substance misuse strategy (Working together to reduce harm, 2008),
which has led to a countrywide take-home naloxone scheme. It has
also supported the set-up of Wedinos, a service to test substances to
give individuals rapid and accurate information to reduce harms, and
introduced and supported numerous harm reduction initiatives and
projects. It is hoped that the Welsh government’s delivery plan (2016-
2018) will reference the need to develop a case for MSIC.
Drugaid Cymru, Wales’s largest and leading third
sector harm reduction agency, has started the work
of developing the case for establishing MSIC
provision in Wales. Not for a minute does anybody
think this will be an easy task, and despite the
evidence to support MSICs, winning the hearts and
minds of politicians, law enforcement, businesses and
neighbours is going to be a challenge. A multi-agency steering group has
been established to progress this agenda in Wales, led by Drugaid Cymru,
and includes leading figures from health, academia, PCC representatives,
public health, Release and the Welsh Government.
Earlier this year, Drugaid Cymru’s chief executive Caroline Phipps
visited Sydney’s Kings Cross centre and a deputation from Drugaid visited
the Ana Liffey Drugs Project in Dublin who are close to opening Ireland’s
first MSIC. While there might be a need for different models for different
communities, there are a lot of commonalities and much that can be
learned from those who are established or moving toward being
operational. Wales is forming partnerships with others to develop the
business case and propose the right model.
During the next six months the steering group will be engaging and
consulting expert individuals and organisations in the UK and in other
countries that have been involved in the research and development of
MSIC provision. The work is at a very early stage in Wales and it is
recognised that there are significant hurdles, but there is a commitment
to develop a strong case for establishing MSIC as part of an overall
comprehensive harm reduction approach – and to win over the hearts
and minds of those with doubts.
Ifor Glyn will facilitate a workshop on MSICs at the upcoming
conference SMTPC2016: ‘The Post-War Dream’. To book your free place
visit
SAFE SPACE
‘Winning the hearts and minds
of politicians, law enforcement,
businesses and neighbours is
going to be a challenge.’
