Mordaunt Faces Backlash for 'Punching Down' on Scotland's Planned Drug Consumption Room Amid Soaring UK Drug Deaths
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Tory minister Penny Mordaunt sparked anger by mocking Scotland's planned drug consumption room to help address its drug deaths crisis. Experts accused her of “punching down” on marginalized people and say such facilities save lives.
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Scotland has the highest drug overdose death rate in Europe despite efforts to address it. The UK government has opposed a planned drug consumption room in Glasgow to allow safe drug use.
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Experts and those who lost loved ones to overdoses criticised Mordaunt for using the scheme as a “cheap” political attack on the SNP instead of constructively addressing the UK’s own soaring drug deaths.
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Drug consumption rooms have successfully prevented thousands of overdoses in many countries. Experts say “undermining harm reduction approaches costs lives” and the UK government has created a “hostile environment” for drug users.
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Cross-party MPs urged the UK government to pilot drug consumption rooms, citing evidence they reduce drug harms and deaths. Experts urged focusing on the UK’s own “public health crisis” of drug deaths instead of political attacks.