Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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A penny for 'em

September 25 2009
A new use as been found for an old WC - supporting drug users It is notoriously difficult to find a toilet in central London (many of them have been closed and those remaining often extremely squalid), but for one ex-toilet there is the possibility of a new life as a needle exchange. Camden Council is planning to transform a former toilet, in a subway on the Charing Cross Road, into a state-of-the-art centre, which will serve as a needle exchange and treatment gateway for drug users. Support workers will be on hand to register drug users, assess their needs and channel them into treatment programmes. At the same time, they will be able to swap used needles for new, sterile, ones. This will not only prevent the spread of infection amongst users but also reduce discarded needles on the street. The new facility will replace a van under Centrepoint and Camden's drug action team is now busy trying to get a planning application for the new site. "A disused toilet might sound like an inappropriate venue," said Rob Larkman, drug action team chair, "but the way we intend to manage it makes it a suitable and appropriate location. We searched high and low for a good place. This venue is away from residential areas and security can be well managed. We can block off this part of the subway, install CCTV and bring in Street Warden patrols to manage security". Larkman added that this would be a vast improvement on the van, often parked up in a busy pedestrian area. The centre is only a low cost short-term solution until the drugs action team can find a more permanent solution. Councillor Anna Stewart, executive member for community safety at Camden, said that the numbers of drug users have reduced by 40 per cent since last year but are still too high. A full consultation with the local community has already taken place and some residents have voiced their support. Jamie Taylor, a local Bloomsbury resident, said: "Drug addicts deserve help but the problem needs managing and this is what a needle exchange and treatment gateway will help to do. Before the needle exchange van there were huge problems with needles lying around everywhere." However, the move isn't without controversy, and has caused a backbench rebellion within the Labour council. Other sites are still being considered.
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