HEALTH leaders, politicians and campaigners have welcomed a decision to create the UK’s first safe injecting centre in Glasgow.

Plans have been approved by Glasgow City Joint Integration Board to launch a pilot facility that will allow addicts to inject under medical supervision to help reduce harm to users and protect the public from discarded needles and potentially anti-social behaviour.

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While many are hailing the decision as a positive for the public and drug users alike, others have been less welcoming of the news. 

Neil McKeganey, of the Centre for Substance Use Research, said there was a risk health bodies were moving away from a commitment to services to wean addicts off of narcotics. 

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland he quoted a survey of addicts in which less than five per cent said they wanted help to inject more safely, while the majority said they wanted assistance to become drug free. 

But other experts have pointed to the success of similar facilities in countries such as Canada and Australia in moving injecting off the street and creating a dialogue between drug users and services. 

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What do you think? Is Glasgow hosting the centre a good idea?