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Hello, a drug consumption room, a place where people can take illegal substances like heroin and cocaine under supervision,

appears likely to open in the centre of Glasgow.

Plans are being discussed this week for what would be the first sanctioned space of its kind in the UK. The background

is the grim picture for several years of Scotland having the worst drug death rate in the UK and in

Europe. The latest annual figures last month showed a drop for the first time in nine years,

but there are still on average 20 people a week who lose their lives

to drugs in Scotland, often after years of addiction and damage of every kind. And where we are,

Glasgow, is now the worst affected city region. The Scottish government believes criminalisation is

part of the problem, that it kills rather than protects. It would like the law to change,

so that possessing drugs for personal use

leads to treatment and support,

not pursuit by the justice system.

Westminster disagrees.

Who is right on how to tackle this epidemic?

Is decriminalization the answer?

Welcome to the today debate.

And for this debate, we are at BBC Scotland's home on the waterfront at Pacific Key in Glasgow,

part of a redevelopment on a site where they were once cargo docks. And our audience

booked their places here without even knowing what we would debate. So thank you for your

trust and welcome. Let me introduce the panel. Malcolm Graham is from Police Scotland. He's

Deputy Chief Constable for Local Policing. All frontline officers in the entire force are now carrying the nasal

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