Emergency motion on anthrax-contaminated heroin

11.04.12am GMT Thu 4th Mar 2010

This is the text of the motion submitted by the South Glasgow party for consideration by the Scottish conference committee. It has not been accepted for debate in the Saturday slot, but it will now be considered for the Sunday slot.

There is still time to submit a similar motion for Federal Spring conference and I will seek to do so.

Conference notes with concern:

i) That at least 24 injecting heroin users have contracted anthrax infections from contaminated heroin in Scotland since December last year, with 10 of these infections proving fatal.

ii) Research commissioned by the Scottish government suggests that the average Scottish problem drug user costs society over £60,000 each year through the costs of crime, criminal justice costs, health service demands and other factors.

Conference further notes

iii) That experience from a growing number of European states and from pilot trials in the UK shows that prescribing heroin to treatment-resistant heroin addicts for supervised consumption in clinics is considerably more effective than methadone in improving patient and societal outcomes.

Conference believes:

a) That Health Protection Agency advice is unlikely to change the behaviour of people addicted to heroin.

b) That current provision of treatment services for heroin addicts is inadequate

c) That provision of alternative pharmaceutical sources of heroin to injecting heroin users could not only protect the users from the risk of anthrax infection, but protect the communities in which they live from the criminality drug addicts are often compelled to engage in to service their addiction.

Conference therefore calls for:

1) The United Kingdom and Scottish authorities to consider taking significant action to safeguard the health of heroin addicts, especially in the regions affected by the unfolding anthrax crisis.

2) The relevant authorities to learn from the experience of our European neighbours in considering the nature of this action, including consideration of the prescription of pharmaceutical heroin for supervised consumption.