ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the advocacy for drug consumption rooms (DCRs) in the UK, spaces where individuals can use drugs under medical supervision. The current environment for people using drugs in the UK is bleak: for the past decade, there have been an unprecedented number of drug-related deaths, most harshly felt in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the most deprived areas across the Isles. While drug policy reform activists have called for drug decriminalisation and a public health approach to drug harms, the lack of political support for change has meant progress has been restricted to half-hearted reforms, such as police-led drug diversion schemes. This chapter explores the tactics used by activists, including civil disobedience and grassroots coalition-building, to push for implementing DCRs as a harm-reduction measure. This chapter highlights the tension between public health approaches and government policies that often frame such initiatives as enabling drug use. It argues for a shift towards policies that prioritise the health and safety of drug users.
