Police commissioner candidates divided over ‘drug consumption rooms’

As the main political parties launch their campaigns to win our vote for the upcoming Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner elections, the topic of Drug Consumption Rooms could become a big issue.

Last week, current Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn (right), who will stand again for Plaid Cymru, told ITV Wales News that he would be in favour of it if current trial runs elsewhere in the UK are successful.

But Conservative candidate, Ian Harrison (below), said he thought the idea “beggars belief”.

There are record levels of drug related deaths in Wales and England and some health officials and charities say consumption rooms, where illicit drugs can be taken under the supervision of trained staff in a sterile environment, will cut down on deaths.

Elwyn Thomas is a Kaleidoscope co-production lead and told ITV that it seems “absurd” that Wales doesn’t provide a clinical setting where someone can inject, seeing it as an opportunity to help care for people and reduce drug related litter on our streets.

“If someone does go into respiratory depression it can be dealt with, you can make sure somebody has clean needles - you can make sure they’re bringing back clean needles - it’s a win, win, win situation,” said Mr Thomas.

Scotland is trialling such a facility and Mr Llywelyn said he is watching with interest.

“The evidence does show that where you have drug consumption rooms that does dramatically reduce the number of deaths within the community, a lot of that is to do with the engagement you would then have with health professionals in those facilities and that’s why I think it shouldn’t be discounted here in Wales,” he told the ITV.

But Mr Harrison, a Powys county councillor for Guilsfield, said: “Daffyd Llewellyn has spent eight years looking the other way while reported crime has more than doubled. He has officially given up tackling drug crime and county lines gangs and has now turned to advocating drug consumption rooms.

“In a mainly rural landscape like ours, I would like to know where he would like to put them? The idea beggars belief, and I would be interested to know what the public in this area think of it.”

It is believed that the UK Government is not in favour of supporting the introduction of consumption rooms.

The Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner election will take place on May 2.