In July 2019, the "Daily Record" publicly announced its support for the decriminalisation of drug use. The newspaper spoke to doctors, politicians, academics, recovery groups and former drug addicts, the overwhelming majority it stated spoke of treating drugs as a health matter rather than a criminal one. The paper said that court convictions are punishing drug users for their addictions, they are given fines they can't afford to pay and jail terms that make their problems worse. It suggested that millions of pounds that are used to force addicts through courts and prison sentences could be redirected to tackling drug gangs and dealers. The paper also highlighted the use of drug consumption facilities, stating they encourage addicts into treatment, reduce the amount of heroin needles on city pavements, counter the spread of diseases such as HIV and save lives. However, it stated that such a properly serviced facility would not currently be able to be opened under UK law unless it was amended so that people who brought drugs into such facilities could not be criminalised for doing so. The paper said that the biggest route to progress is through properly funding harm reduction and rehab programmes.