Issue - meetings

By Councillor Caldwell - Drugs in communal stairwells

“Committee recognises that:

1.         Drug use continues to present a serious health issue affecting thousands of residents across Edinburgh and Council has on numerous occasions has supported measures aimed at mitigating the public health crisis, including the advocation of Safe Consumption Rooms, needle exchanges as well as supporting policies within the Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Partnership Strategic Plan.

2.         The uncontrolled injection of drugs and discarded paraphernalia including Sharps in a common stairwells pose a health risk to both the individuals consuming the drugs and everyone accessing the stairwell.

3.         Further improper disposal of Sharps (ie without a Sharps Box) into waste streams further risks the welfare of Council Waste and Cleansing officers.

4.         The Council currently do not collect Sharps from common stairwells which do not have Council Housing, either as a Minority or Majority.

5.         Ensuring all Edinburgh residents know about the services available for those struggling with addiction is a key component of tackling this public health crisis.

Therefore requests:

6.         That Housing, Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Partnership, and Waste and Cleansing departments (liaising with stakeholders such as, but not limited to, Crew, LEAP and AdvoCard) review the policy of Sharps collection from common stairwells, and the financial and practical implication of enabling collections of Sharps reported in common stairwells without Council Housing present.

7.         This includes a review of awareness and appropriate materials such as posters that tenants and residents can access, print out, and display in common stairwells to signpost individuals to help, and overall ensure stairwells remain safe spaces.

8.         This is reported back to via a briefing to both Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work and Policy and Sustainability committees, and that the ‘Common Stairwells Sharps Disposal Policy’ is taken into account in further development of the Council’s public health-based approach to tackling the drug death public health crisis.”