The UK Government has warned that a van intended to allow heroin addicts in Glasgow to inject themselves would be illegal.
Peter Krykant, who is running the van, claims it will help addicts to get clean and says “I don’t feel any laws are being broken”, but Westminster says ‘mobile fix rooms’ are “not legal in the UK”.
In a statement, it said: “We have no plans to introduce drug consumption rooms in the UK. Anyone running them would be committing a range of offences.”
Illegal
The BBC noted: “Krykant could be in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act by allowing illegal activity – the consumption of class-A drugs – in his vehicle”.
Krykant himself acknowledged that what he wants to do is outside the law, and earlier this year left his job after his employer expressed concerns.
He said: “my employers have told me they can’t continue with my employment if I run the van, as there is not [sic] legal framework to accommodate what I hope to do”.
“I have been told I risk arrest”, Krykant added, “However, I am willing to be arrested.”
Not permitted
Last year, the Scottish Affairs Committee called on the UK Government to liberalise the law on drugs in Scotland to allow drug consumption facilities.
Westminster has now responded, saying: “We want to do all we can to stop people having access to drugs that could ultimately kill them.”
The statement added: “No illegal drug-taking can be assumed to be safe and there is no safe way to take them.”
We want to do all we can to stop people having access to drugs that could ultimately kill them
Scotland’s Lord Advocate has previously said that drug consumption rooms are not permissible under existing legislation.
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