Needle bins installed near Glasgow drug consumption room after 'dumping ground' concerns

Needle bins have been installed near the UK’s first drug consumption room in Glasgow after residents claimed the site had turned into a “dumping ground”.

Residents of the city’s East End say their streets have been littered with waste in the months since the consumption room opened.

People living in the Calton area gathered last month to discuss the impact on their streets in the five months since the Thistle Centre opened its doors.

They said there has been a stark rise in evidence of drug dealing, the discarding of drug paraphernalia and dangerous anti-social behaviour since January.

Needle bins have been installed in Glasgow Glasgow City Council

They called upon First Minister John Swinney to visit the area.

The drug consumption room opened in January 2025, marking a landmark change in the approach to drug policy in Scotland.

The three-year pilot project was granted the go-ahead after Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC stated that prosecuting those using the centre for drug possession would not be in the public interest.

The centre allows drug users to take illegal substances with trained medical staff on hand to deal with emergencies.

The facility has been used more than 2,500 times since opening.

Glasgow City Council says it has begun work to clear the area and has installed needle bins following concerns being raised.

A spokesperson said: “In response to local concerns we have been clearing a public injecting site on derelict land in Calton.

“Discarded needles safely removed and disposed of, overgrowth cut back and other waste lifted.

“Needle bins also installed at sites where we know public injecting takes place.”

Police Scotland said it was aware of “long-standing issues” in the area and said its officers continue to work to address the concerns.

Chief inspector Max Shaw added: “Police Scotland has a duty to respond to the needs of our communities.

“We remain committed to reducing the harm associated with problematic substance use and addiction and our approach to any initiative, aimed at tackling these harms, will be to establish how best we can support it within the confines of the law.

“We continue to engage with members of the local community to discuss any concerns and would encourage reporting of incidents to Police Scotland.”

The facility has been used more than 2,500 times since opening. STV News

Scotland’s health secretary has defended the safe consumption room, saying the Thistle had saved lives.

Neil Gray also said that similar facilities around the world had reduced levels of public drug consumption and publicly discarded drug-related litter.

“Almost 250 people have used the Thistle since it opened in mid-January with around 2,000 injecting episodes – helping to protect people against blood-borne viruses and taking used needles off the streets, ensuring they’re safely disposed of within the service,” he said.

“I recognise local people’s concerns and Glasgow partners are addressing them through outreach work, ongoing needle uplift operations, and plans to expand public needle disposal bins.

“Glasgow Health and Social Care partnership will continue to engage with the local community and a comprehensive independent evaluation will examine the service’s impact.”