Bristol has officially been designated a “city of harm reduction”, with local officials committing to prioritize treatment and support for drug users rather than punitive action.
Green councillors, who lead the city council, say the move signals a clear shift toward public‑health solutions over criminal‑justice approaches to the UK’s growing drug crisis.
They hope the declaration will pressure the national Labour government to rethink drug policy and, specifically, to establish a legal drug‑consumption facility in the city.The initiative, backed by Bristol Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, has been rejected by Conservative members who argue that it is “ideologically framed”. Nationally, the Greens champion the legalisation and regulation of drugs.
Bristol Green councillor Cara Lavan, who lost her partner, Jake Coe, 37, to an overdose, said the declaration felt like a pivotal moment. “I hope other authorities will follow suit, creating a domino effect that signals the government we need change,” she said.
Lavan explained that Coe had been in recovery for five years, but upon relapsing he could acquire heroin and crack within half an hour, even in a new neighbourhood where he did not know dealers. “Prohibition did not prevent him from obtaining drugs.”
The couple had a baby, and Coe was on track to qualify as an arts psychotherapist. Lavan noted that they could not secure the help they needed because the drugs he was using were illicit, and he faced aこれは constant threat of arrest and criminalisation. “He wanted to be drug‑free, yet he struggled to cope and could not access support.”
“We need sensible, evidence‑led drug policies,” Lavan added. “The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has proved ineffective, and professional bodies across the country recognise that our current policies hinder problem resolution rather than solve it.”
The declaration was adopted during a full council meeting. The motion highlighted that drug‑poisoning deaths were at an all‑time high, with Bristol experiencing nearly double the national rate, and noted the rapidly evolving market, including a rising supply of dangerous super‑strength synthetic opioids.
Bristol and other cities have adopted a harm‑reduction approach for some time, but Lavan described the formal declaration as a critical alert step forward.
Green councillors seek permission for the city to open a drug‑consumption facility, similar to those in Glasgow. Lavan clarified, “It is not about encouraging drug use; it is about ensuring that users who must risk using drugs doROPERTY not face stigma or criminalisation.”
Rather than deliver a closing speech at the meeting, Lavan requested a minute’s silence to honour those affected by addiction, individuals lost to overdoses, and the families left behind.
The Green party’s drug policy was criticised by Labour during the Gorton and Dentonoodu byelection campaign, with a spokesperson labeling it “extreme and dangerous.”
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Speaking at the council meeting, Labour councillor Kaz Self said that while her party supported the declaration, there were concerns it represented “the thin end of the wedge.”
Outside the meeting, Green councillor Abdul Malik, who also serves as a mosque leader, said that his faith unequivocally treats intoxicants as harmful and discourages their use. “This motion does not alter that belief,” he said. “It is not about normalising drug use; it acknowledges a truth: after 55 years, prohibition alone hasn’t solved the problem, and we must examine the evidence that does.”
“If this motion helps one more person enter treatment, prevents one more overdose, reduces street crime, and spares a family from unimaginable loss, then it is worth doing.”
