Last week at Parliament, I had the opportunity to take part in a debate on safe injection facilities – otherwise referred to as drug consumption rooms.

Such facilities have operated in Europe for the past three decades – where illicit drugs can be used under the supervision of trained staff.

Robust evidence demonstrates that such facilities reduce street injection, decrease the number of discarded syringes on streets, whilst no one has ever died of an overdose in one.

The authorities in Scotland are unable to introduce safe injection facilities as they would be illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The Scottish Government, and now the Scottish Parliament as a whole, have called on the UK Government to either grant an exemption under the legislation or devolved such powers to Scotland so we can take the necessary steps to save lives.