The Thistle is a newly established drug consumption clinic in eastern Glasgow, operating year-round to combat the alarming rate of drug-related deaths, particularly in a city notorious for its high numbers. In 2023, Glasgow reported a quarter of Scotland's 1,172 drug misuse deaths. Staff at the Thistle report that many patients are engaging with healthcare for the first time in years, due to previous negative experiences with health and law enforcement systems. The Thistle's model focuses on harm reduction and is born out of a lengthy struggle for political support, reflecting a shift in the UK's approach to drug consumption and addiction management.
The population that the Thistle is dealing with, they are like the exemplar of hard to reach, right? They are people who have had, throughout their lives, really difficult experiences with conventional health services, with criminal justice.
They are now seeing folk who perhaps haven't been to a medical appointment, haven't seen anyone official for two, three years, and the Thistle is the first time that they've actually felt able to make an approach for help, for treatment.
A political stalemate between the Scottish government and Westminster meant it took a decade for Glasgow city council to open the service, and the gradual shift towards a harm reduction approach in the UK.
Public injection sites in the neighborhood are highlighted as particularly dangerous for drug users, emphasizing the urgent need for secure and supported drug consumption facilities.
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