Cllr Georgia Wrighton

Brighton & Hove City Council has called on the government to roll out clinics for the prescription of injectible heroin. The move came after a 3 year pilot scheme which saw heroin given to addicts in supervised clinics found big reductions in the use of street drugs and crime.
 
Green Cllr Georgia Wrighton, whose call for more action on this issue by the Government received unanimous, cross party support, said:
“Brighton & Hove has been named the Drugs Death Capital of the UK six times in the last eight years and we are home to around 2,300 injecting heroin addicts.
 
“While the council, Sussex Police and drugs workers do much to tackle the harm caused by drug addiction locally - not only to those addicted but also their friends, families and the wider community - it’s clear we need to try something new in addition to providing frontline services.
 
“The results of this pilot scheme are spectacular. Of those involved, three quarters ‘substantially’ reduced their use of street heroin, more than half were ‘largely abstinent’ and 1 in 5 did not use street heroin at all. The pilot also saw a drastic cut in crime – three quarters of crack and heroin users are thought to commit crime to feed their habits.
 
“It’s clear this approach, followed sensibly, can make a real difference to the lives of many.
 
“The Government promised to roll out more clinics if the pilot was successful. We now urge them to keep that promise as a matter of urgency. This is not just about helping those addicted - but also about cutting the costs to the wider community. Society’s drug problem affects us all."

For more information about the Full Council meeting which took a vote on the issue view:
present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000117/M00002082/AI00010976/$091008NM07ActionofDrugsGrnGrp.docA.ps.pdf

For more information about Brighton and Hove Council view:
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk