With You welcomes plans for the UK's first overdose prevention centre

27 September 2023

Today (Wednesday, 27 September 2023), Glasgow's Integration Joint Board ratified plans for an overdose prevention centre (also known as drug consumption rooms) in the city. It will be the first of its kind in the UK.

Ronnie, from Paisley, used drugs for more than 30 years before going into residential rehabilitation and overcoming his challenges.

He says: “Every penny I had went on drugs. When I stopped working I was living out of food banks, sleeping on a couch, only getting off the couch to go and score.

“If I didn’t seek help when I did, I would be dead now. There’s no doubt, I would be dead. Or I would be sitting with limbs amputated, lost the ability to walk, ultimately I wouldn’t be here.”

Ronnie now works at our Glasgow Recovery Hub. He believes the overdose prevention centre will help homeless people in the city.

He explains: “It will provide a warm, clean space for people who would otherwise be using - and dying - in the streets or in car parks. I think it will help a lot of people.

“However, the facility alone is not enough. I hope it will have more tiers to it - including testing for blood-borne viruses and offering support into recovery.”

Ronnie says he possibly would have entered into recovery earlier in his life if support had been readily available.

He adds: “People who use drugs in a harmful way often have very chaotic lives. Even if they want to make a change, they do not know how to find advice. The overdose prevention centre could be a really important tool for reaching people. For me, it’s a no brainer.”

You can read our statement on overdose prevention centres here.