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Waiting for the Van

Factual: Life Stories

BBC Radio 4 - Waiting for the Van

The story of one man's attempt to challenge fifty years of UK drug policy.

Scotland has the highest number of drug deaths in Europe. Dani Garavelli follows activist Peter Krykant as he attempts to challenge half a century of drug policy in the UK.

"I couldn't stand back anymore and just watch people die."

In September 2020, drug policy activist Peter Krykant decided he'd had enough. The former heroin addict, turned frontline campaigner, bought a minivan and kitted it out with sanitisers and needles, a supply of naloxone- the medication used to reverse an opioid overdose- and a defibrillator. 

He parked it in Glasgow's city centre and opened its doors to homeless drug users who are most at risk of overdose.  

The van is operating as a drug consumption room (DCR), which are widely used in Europe and North America. But in Britain they're considered illegal under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, though legal experts dispute that. 

Scotland now holds a per capita death rate three times higher than anywhere else in Europe, tallying six straight years of record-setting, drug-related deaths. The SNP government has expressed support for bold initiatives, like DCRs, but claims its hands are tied by Westminster. 

A few years ago the Home Office had stepped in to halt plans for permament site in Glasgow. Since then DCRs have been at the centre of fierce debate. 

For Peter Krykant, setting up the van is not just about saving lives, but challenging drug policy. 

Presenter Dani Garavelli recorded with Peter at the van over eight months, getting to know him, his family and the users who rely on the service. 

Producer: Caitlin Smith

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