No, this would encourage drug use and lower funding for rehabilitation centers

Addicts are addicted and will find a way to have drugs, at least under supervision they can be coached out of it and be safe from overdose at the same time

no matter what people who do drugs without supervision will still do drugs, them being in the safe haven will help them want to quit and they will stay healthy and alive.

In safe havens, there will be a decreased likelihood of overdoses on hard drugs and addicts who have overdosed whilst under the supervision of medical professionals will be able to receive the care they need to survive. In countries such as Portugal, where drugs have been decriminalised and there are safe havens for addicts, the amount of people that get into drugs is lower than over here in the UK. They show addicts the risks of the drugs they do and this often puts them off.

Addiction is a terrible illness that has a long road to recovery. If people are in the depths of it, they WILL relapse, still take drugs etc. Being able to take drugs in a safe environment where they can be redirected to rehabilitation services can only be a good thing. We have failed them as a society if they end up dead.

It would help prevent or minimise overdoses as it is done in a sterile environment and under controlled supervision.

safe havens will monitor the behaviour's of the drug users and arrest those they believe would cause a risk to the public

It would help prevent or minimise overdoses as it is done in a sterile environment and under controlled supervision.

the positives still outweigh the negatives and having a safe way for drug users to quit is extremely important for rehabilitation

It’s the people’s choice to take the drug and they will do so if there’s a safe haven or isn’t, therefore having a safe haven allows those who do use illicit substances to do it safely

people are going to take hard drugs regardless as it is a habit not a choice. This is a step forward in reducing the number of drug related fatalities on our streets and preventing our communities from being damaged by the violence and crime which comes with this type of drug use

It would allow people to come off drugs and it would be more beneficial than an already tried and failed method, it also means it reduces the amount of people addicted and it would mean we don't need rehab centres.

We need to reduce stigma around drug addiction, and raise awareness about addiction in general, this would hopefully reduce the incentive to take drugs.

Drug addiction should be treated more like an illness or a disease where people can get help to get rid of it rather than get sent to prison for doing it

I don't agree with punishment for people in these circumstances. They'll be using anyway so why not treat them as human beings and give them a safe space.

Giving addicts a place where they feel safe and accepted is the first step towards recovery, rehab is a scary thing to seek out when you’ve been addicted for so long

People who are addicted to drugs will take them regardless of where they are, save havens with medical professionals will guarantee the number of people that od lower drastically.

If we create Safe heaven under supervision of medical professionals not can we drastically decrease the amount of deaths via overdosing and we could hep those who are trying to give up drugs more efficiently.

Prevention of accidental overdoses leading to death/lifelong disabilities in the community. A safe space to learn more about the substances going in to the body and where to access healthcare for any BBVs and treatment for addictions.

It would help keep people alive long enough to be ready for treatment or people that have to wait for treatment.

The”War On Drugs” has failed, by decriminalising and allowing safe havens, this will reduce the death risk, provide support to users to get clean if they wish to, and will also lower the effect criminal gangs have.

Drug use will continue to occur and never end, no matter what changes within laws. It is much better for society for people to have safe areas to use and be looked after if needed.

This gives the victims of drug dealing a place to use drugs safely without harm to society, and would also give charities and authorities the chance to offer rehab to large groups rather than piecemeal to individuals.

Drugs will be regulated meaning that drugs are less likely to have any components i.e weed killer that should not form part of it. Addiction can be managed appropriately and those showing signs of addiction can be supported. Crime is highly likely to be reduced, including drug dealing as a safe haven reduces the need for users to obtain the drug illegally. Users are less likely to commit further offences to be able to pay for drugs I.e theft

people will take drugs regardless - highest drug deaths in world means we need to ensur esafee drug use

It would lower hospital admissions from drug users who end up with infection/abscesses/diseases from unsafe/unsterile use. Would also be able to provide drug users with support in recovery easier if they are using in a space supported by healthcare workers.

Harm reduction is evidence backed as one of the most effective strategies. We need to make sure there is enough funding for both safe havens and rehabs.

No it wouldn't the war on drugs just penalises the most vulnerable the users of drugs and does not address those getting rich from illegal drugs.

Drug use has always occurred and always will, more money and resources on rehab centers can't be guaranteed to enable people to recover from their addictions. More money should be ploughed into aiding areas of deprivation to provide access to services more broadly, acting as a net to lessen the spiral into drugs in the first place.

Drug addiction needs to be helped better and one can only be helped if they choose to themselves. We should always work to support others and provide safe places.

The system is too corrupt to fully support and fund rehabilitation centres. A safe haven would get a chance to help those who are addicted, to avoid horrid deaths from OD’ing, using drugs which are laced etc.

Safe haven prevents unnecessary deaths by contaminated paraphernalia, thus decreasing part of the strain on our healthcare system. Further, it would allow people to become educated on what the drugs do/contain. Potentially curbing the increasing number of drug users nationwide.

If people are addicted they physically need help o stop so drug safe spaces would not give them withdrawal symptom's while they recover

It would get drug users off the streets and keep them safe. They are humans and deserve to be taken care of.

It doesn’t encourage the usage of drugs, as long as it’s ensured that Safe Haven’s are educational on the ways of addiction and provide a way out of addiction.

This is not true - there have been excessive experiments, trials and actual examples of providing safe haven reducing the health hazards of drug use, and absolutely no evidence that they incentivise drug use. Addiction is a health issue and it should be treated as such.

Drug addiction is an illness not a choice. Many people use drugs, not all are addicted. For those that are addicted, their health & welfare is at risk if demonised & criminalised. It is essential to provide a safe place for them rather than leave them to underground use where they are more at risk. Providing a safe, clean environment with support could then work hand and hand with rehabs, realistic assessments prior to entry rather than desperate last option.

People die through unsafe drug use. We have a duty to help addicts and callously letting them die is not 'help'.

It will not encourage drug use, it will simply reduce harm for the drug user. Users will use irrespective of safety. Drug use is a public health issue not a criminal issue, and it should be treated as such.

Addicts are addicted and will find a way to have drugs, at least under supervision they can be coached out of it and be safe from overdose at the same time

Nothing is stopping people from taking drugs now, it just reduces the amount of drug-related deaths and promotes safe drug using. It should coincide with an increase of funding to rehabilitation centres, in order to provide people with the means to treat their addictions.

The war on drugs in failing considerably, in history we used this model before adapting to the American model and drug use has spiralled out of control and contributes to the network of illegal gangs. Decriminalising all drugs and treating them through appropriate healthcare is the only solution.

People are always going to use drugs and it is better that we don't push into the hands of criminals, we can make it safer and help people recover from addiction if we decriminalise it

Drug use has been banned for years but it has never ceased to occur; illicit drug supply is impure and unregulated and therefore we should create spaces for those dependent on them to consume them safely - ie with support avenues, information, and no judgement

People already use drugs, and they already are costing money for their treatment. If they are given a safe and supportive environment, it will lead to less issues long term.

If a person is stable enough to test drugs in a safe environment. Then, they are also capable of moderation and can be properly informed of the risks associated with drug use.

Drug use is already commonplace in the UK - it is important to ensure it is conducted in a safe manner so we can help people to come off of drugs. Drug addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one.

Criminalising drug use does not work, help addicts to wean them off drugs while giving them safe drugs rather than unsafe street drugs (which funds crime)

Some people
Will end up going back to drugs, so allowing a safe environment where they are monitored by it, allows them to slowly get better and those monitoring can keep giving them weaker versions of the drug to the point it gets out their system.

People will do drugs regardless. There should facilities for people to use drugs safely and educate themselves

Rehabilitation is a long and arduous process that can cause a lot of pain to some. Furthermore some people tend to gravitate towards drugs due to things like depression. By causing these people to actively hide we promote them being alone, but by creating a safe space we can not only reduce death rates but even help them rehabilitate each other through the idea of community support.

People will use regardless. Criminalization makes the act inherently less safe and puts women and vulnerable persons at heightened risk of violence and unsafe supply.

Drug use levels will not change regardless and this will prevent overdose/support conversation around recovery

Encouraging drug use in a rehabilation centre provides health care and life saving medical assistance preventing drug related deaths.

It would reduce deaths and stain on the nhs. People are already taking the drugs, people who don’t want to do drugs aren’t just going to stroll in for the fun of it.

No this would mean that there would be less fear around drugs so people would feel safer about getting advice and help for themselves.

Funding levels are already terribly low. These spaces would take minimal resourcing and help to destimatise drug use and enable more peolpe to get proper help.

Most rehab clinics are privatised anyway and it would drastically reduce drug deaths. More people would not become addicted to d EU he because of these centres

I don't think these safe havens would necessarily reduce funding to rehabilitation centres. No addict caught in the horror of addictive addiction chooses to be that way, and access to rehab or treatment centres is not always an easy task, and is quite often a lengthy process. Addiction is a dangerous disease to suffer from, and people who are caught in the obsession and compulsion of using drugs deserve to have a safe place to be.

Drug use is rampant regardless. Giving them a safe haven does not only provide them with clean equipment (largely preventing overdose and issues like HIV), they can also be given resources that may help them to get off drugs.

People will use drugs either way, with this, they have a way to use safety and in a clean environment

People taking drugs could do so in a safe environment, receive support to quit and it would reduce crime

In other places in the world, treating addicts as sick and not as criminals works a lot better than our current system here.
Also, safe havens gets drugs regulated, lowers risk of overdose due to improper dosage and removes drugs from the street where people who wouldn't usually participate are exposed

Being a substance misuse criminal justice worker I can suggest with confidence that this would actually allow the overdose rate to remain stagnant or indeed increase with recent drug prevalence.

Addiction is a disease these people need help and support to use safely and get clean; this in turn would reduce homelessness, crime and anti-social behaviour significantly.

What's important is treating addiction as an illness, not a crime, and giving the necessary support for those seeking recovery

Drug use will always happen, no matter what the government does. So the best thing to do is protect those users and make sure that they are safe.

Drug use is hereto stay whether we like it or not. The best way to tackle drug use is by making it a regulated market.

Driving people underground or leaving them in a desperate position puts them more at risk of being preyed on by criminals.

Drug abuse should be viewed as a health issue. Giving people the care and safe spaces they need means that they are less at risk.

Its been observed in the US that Safe Haven style programmes that have rehabilitation built in as part of the harm reduction programme do in fact reduce drug related deaths and in the long term makes it more possible for drug dependent individuals to successfully recover from their drug use. It would not be encouraging drug use as the drugs are not provided to the individual, it simply provides them a safe, clean and supervised environment.
The two options also do not have to be mutually exclusive, rehabilitation centres and safe haven should both co exist in order for individuals to make their choices on which path to recovery works best for them. Not everyone can detox, not everyone has the willpower to control their use, therefore paths to recovery should be personalised.

If you can use them safely, with support & without shame you're less likely to die & more likely to access help

Studies have proven that drug use doesn't increase given access to safe havens, and even if they were to increase, there would be fewer deaths and drug harm due to the access to safe circumstances.

Drug addicts will take drugs regardless of whether the treatment centre is there or not - better to help them manage their addiction in safety than lose lives to overdoses - remember its the addiction that is the disease, and it’s often created by trauma or societal factors - we shouldn’t be criminalising drug addicts or leaving them to die in the grips of a crippling addiction

We should add these havens since it could prevent people who refuse help to use drugs in a safe and protected area where there is a less chance of death

Rehabilitation centres should be used to help people with mental health that they cant help having. People who take drugs and getaddicte4d choose to take drugs in the first place.

people are going to take hard drugs regardless as it is a habit not a choice. This is a step forward in reducing the number of drug related fatalities on our streets and preventing our communities from being damaged by the violence and crime which comes with this type of drug use

People stop using when they want to stop and use when they want to use. It's on them. Safe havens provide a safe option for those who are going to use.

Illegality and legislation has not stopped them from using, the only way that someone can use safely is to be supervised

Addicts are addicted and will find a way to have drugs, at least under supervision they can be coached out of it and be safe from overdose at the same time

Rehabilitation centres should be encouraged, with safe havens offering a place to regulate drug consumption to those who already would anyway. It would also decrease the risk of death by overdose and passing on of diseases, creating lesser strain on public health services.

No drug havens wouldn’t decrease the amount of drug abuse, however it would increase the safety of the people using drugs and can help them on the path to rehabilitation.

Safe havens will protect some of the most vulnerable people on the streets, reduce the taboo nature, and allow people more chances to access help if they seek it.

it WOULD encourage drug use but only in a safe environment where help is available and risk would be minimised, it would also reduce unclean drug usage

Rehabilitation centres can often prove not useful to addicts, with many often relapsing once treatment is completed. By relapsing and falling into old habits, they are just as likely to die from overdose or disease as they were before treatment. By introducing safe havens, this gives addicts a safe place to take drugs, treating them humanely, as they are still human despite addictions. Unfortunately people will only become clean once they feel ready, so they should be given a chance to take drugs safely until they are ready to enter a rehab programme. Also by taking drugs in a safe clean place may reduce the novelty and deviancy of drugs, encouraging more people to stay away from drugs entirely

Rehab centres already exist, and have proven low success rates. You will never be able to stop an adult from accessing substances if they want them. This is proven by prohibition and ongoing use of classified substances today. Education and safeguarding are the best measures.

We don't know until we try,if it fails then well done you are correct but it could be a solution that would benefit many. Shut up please.

People take drugs whether there are rehabilitation centres or not, rehabilitation centres provide risk reduction to those taking drugs.

Safe Haven sites don't encourage drug use; they save lives by preventing overdoses and reducing the spread of diseases like HIV. Evidence from places like Vancouver's Insite shows that these sites do not increase drug use but instead connect users to health services and rehab programs they might otherwise avoid. By improving public health and safety, reducing healthcare costs, and serving as a bridge to rehabilitation, Safe Haven sites enhance overall community wellbeing and do not detract from funding for treatment services.

Criminalisation does not stop social problems, it simply forces them into the shadows and endangers users unnecessarily

people are going to take hard drugs regardless as it is a habit not a choice. This is a step forward in reducing the number of drug related fatalities on our streets and preventing our communities from being damaged by the violence and crime which comes with this type of drug use

The opposite. It would discourage drug use and increase engagement with rehabilitation as proven in Portugal

People will take drugs if they have an addiction, making it safer reduces the risks and need for hospitalisation

Portugal, people at that point take drugs regardless of legality and need help, moreover alcohol is a much more concerning drug which we allow + incarceration does not help costs more and makes lives worse

Drugs are rife across the whole of the UK. Easily accessible but dangerous because they're not regulated and people don't consume them "safely" as they could do. There should always be a space where people are looked after as drug or any addictions are unbelievably difficult to control. People will always use drugs, why not have spaces that stop prosecuting them. Maybe, legalising them also will take away the illegal excitement of it and make it less appealing.

it would decrease the ''fad'' behind drugs and make it more recreational rather than fuel the illegal need to do this in private

No it will not encourage drug use, as drugs are used in surplus every day, now people can take them in safer environments, which will hopefully decrease strain on the NHS as people are less likely to take contaminated drugs

There is no evidence that safe havens encourage drug use, or that it would lower funding for drug rehab centres. Such centres provide a valuable opportunity for intervention, support, and referral to drug rehab.