The Thistle drug consumption room in Glasgow played a 'small but significant' role in reducing drug harm, a new report has found, with a checking service to be introduced aimed at further preventing deaths.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS), which provides independent scrutiny of both Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, has issued a review of how the force handles drug harm reduction, with Scotland having the highest death rate in Europe.

As part of the review, HMICS looked at the early impact of The Thistle, which was opened in Hunter Street in Glasgow in January 2025, with Police Scotland "involved throughout the development journey".

As noted in the report, the facility marks a "significant departure from traditional enforcement-led approaches

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