Scotland's first drug checking service opens doors in Glasgow

Scotland’s first drug-checking service has opened its doors in Glasgow, with further sites planned for three other cities.

The facility will allow people aged 18 and over who are dependent on illegal drugs to submit samples for checking and receive tailored harm-reduction advice based on the results.

Samples will also be sent to the national testing and research laboratory for drug testing at the University of Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science.

Findings will contribute to wider intelligence about substances circulating in Scotland, supporting national early warning systems and public health responses.

The service is based on Hunter Street and shares a site with the country’s first drug consumption room, The Thistle.

It forms part of a national strategy to reduce drug-related deaths, with sites also due to open in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh.

The facilities, combined with the national testing and research laboratory, are backed by £1.7m in funding from the Scottish Government.

Drugs minister Maree Todd said: “Scotland’s illegal drug supply is increasingly unpredictable, including the presence of highly potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes in a range of substances.

“This makes faster identification of emerging drug trends more important than ever.

“We have already worked with Glasgow partners to open the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility, which is undoubtedly saving lives.

“This service will complement that vital harm-reduction work. We must improve the early identification of emerging risks and I look forward to other sites opening and to the national laboratory providing potentially life-saving research and updates.”

Councillor Allan Casey, convener of homelessness and addiction services at Glasgow City Council, added: “We are taking new and radical approaches to how we treat addiction.

“Now the drug-checking service is available, service users will be able to find out more about the drug they are taking and the risks associated with taking it.

“A very small sample is all that is needed. Alongside the testing process, people will receive personalised harm-reduction advice based on the substances identified, helping them make more informed decisions, reduce risks to their health and wellbeing and access wider support where needed.”