DISGUSTED locals have hit out over scores of used needles and other paraphernalia dumped in the streets near Scotland’s first drug consumption facility.
Dozens of dirty syringes and metal spoons used to heat heroin are blighting the Calton in Glasgow, where The Thistle centre opened in January.
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Streets in the Calton, Glasgow near Scotland’s drug consumption room are blighted by needlesCredit: Tom Farmer
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Long-term resident Linda Watson said the area has “never been as bad” as it is nowCredit: Tom Farmer
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A shooting gallery on wasteland in Tobago Street is littered with scores of needles and other drug paraphernaliaCredit: Tom Farmer
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The Thistle opened on January 13 to allow addicts to take illegal drugs without fear of prosecutionCredit: PA
Drug users are supplied with Orion-branded drug kits and are encouraged to dispose of used needles and packaging responsibly.
The Scottish Sun visited the area in the city’s east end and spotted around 20 needles among bushes next to a path in the Morrisons supermarket car park.
Meanwhile, in Tobago Street – around a 10-minute walk away from the facility – a patch of wasteland has been turned into a shooting gallery.
While our reporter visited three drug users, including one woman in a wheelchair, came out of the wooded spot, which is just across the road from houses and a garage.
The grim abandoned site is filled with litter and drug-related products, including countless discarded needles and syringe packaging.
Linda Watson, 68, has lived in the Calton her whole life and is outraged by the problem.
She said: “This place has never been as bad as this. It’s absolutely shocking and unsafe with the amount of paraphernalia that’s lying around.
“Councillors started trying to come and pick up as much as we can. But as soon as it’s lifted, it’s just replaced again.
“There’s just so many more drug dealers here now and strange addicts that were never here before.
“There was a problem in this area with drug dealing. But once they named that site as the place that was gonna be, that was when we started seeing more dealers.
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“That’s when they knew there would be a demand to supply here. People have been finding needles in their gardens and their back courts.
“They’re getting in through their closes. They’ll come down in the mornings and find all the paraphernalia lying.
“This is what we’ve got to live amongst. It’s atrocious.
“Taking a dog or children out is dangerous. I won’t let my grandchildren out around here.”
The retired speech and language therapist added: “We’re getting tired of it already. And it’s a three-year pilot.
“We’re not anti-helping people who have got a problem. But that place [The Thistle] is not helping people – they’re enabling people to self-harm.”
Another local man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t understand the logic in it [The Thistle]. They’re encouraging people to take drugs.
“It’s all right for the people who run that place. I’m sure none of them live around here.
“I believe it’s made the area worse. There’s people coming from all areas to go to it.
“I’ve lived here all my life.”
Another outraged resident told LBC that frightened locals are buying “baseball bats” for self-protection.
She said: “People were advised that there would be less drug traffic by drug users, there’d be less discarded needles within the streets, and the areas would actually improve.
“It’s total opposite. There’s more drug traffic, there is more crime.
“Numerous residents have actually purchased baseball bats because they’re feeling unsafe in their area.”
The Thistle opened on January 13 to offer users of illicit substances a place to take drugs without fear of prosecution.
It was opened in a bid to tackle Scotland’s drugs death toll, which spiked by 12 per cent in 2023 to 1,172 fatalities.
Fears were previously raised by residents and local business owners over a rise in drug dealing and narcotics-related litter in the area.
But Health Secretary Neil Gray played down the perceived risks and dismissed concerns as being “false”.
Colin McGowan, trustee of the children’s charity Blameless, said: “The people of Calton, their voices must be heard. There is increased needles.
“I’ve been down and cleared over 300 needles personally. I’ve seen the other drug paraphernalia and more people with addiction issues coming to the area to use the facility.
“We should have an increased bin and needle collections. People are paying their community tax and they have to clean the streets.”
A Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership spokesperson said: “We have a community forum set up and running specifically for residents and businesses to discuss with officers any concerns and allow us an opportunity to address them.
“It is well-known that public injecting has been taking place in close proximity to The Thistle and within the Calton area for many years – well before the service opened. It is one of the reasons for the facility being where it is.
“We are monitoring the impact of the service and to date, there has been no notable increase in discarded needles reported to us in the area since The Thistle opened. However, this and the community’s experience will be fully measured and reported on as part of the service evaluation.”
Mr Gray said: “I recognise local people’s concerns and we are addressing them through ongoing needle uplift operations, with plans to expand public needle disposal bins beyond the city centre to other affected areas.
“As part of its harm-reduction service, The Thistle provides the same kits as all city-wide needle exchange services.
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“Research and evaluation from similar facilities around the world has found consistent evidence that they can help save and improve lives, reduce harms associated with drug use and levels of public drug consumption and publicly discarded drug-related litter.
“Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership will continue to engage with the local community, including businesses, and a comprehensive independent evaluation will examine the service’s impact.”