Today, the press are getting excited about proposals for a safe injection facility – a shooting gallery – for Brighton.

This would provide a safe environment for IV drug users, where help is at hand and an interface is provided to support and rehabilitate those at the very bottom of society’s ladder.

Some will be aghast at the proposal, which pampers to this vile lifestyle. Others will recognise the considerable advantages, to improve healthcare, to get people away from a chaotic lifestyle and off the streets.

In the US, where such facilities are quite common, the norm is for a clean and secure unit where facilities are available for the use of clean needles, safe injections, and correct disposal of paraphernalia. The moral majority will be pleased to know that there are few home comforts.

Our concern will be for sharps safety. For every person using a shooting gallery there will be not one less needle discarded on the streets, but at least one, every day! And with no needle staying, the public health and safety implications are clear.

It’s a brave move for Brighton, but somewhere has to be first.