'Money, staff and education' are key to tackling drug issues says Thurso councillor

With drug fatalities on the rise both nationally and locally, a Thurso councillor talked about the need for more "money, staff and education" to help tackle the issues.

This week, MSP Angela Constance takes up her new position as Minister for Drug Policy to lead the Scottish Government’s work on tackling and reducing the harm of drug misuse, supporting the rehabilitation and recovery of those living with drug addiction, and reducing the unacceptable number of deaths from drugs.

Data released last week showed that another 39 drug related deaths occurred last year in the Highlands and Islands following on from 67 deaths in 2018. Scotland continues to have the highest drug-related death rate in Europe and a rate almost 3.5 times the UK rate as a whole.

An increasing number of drug-related deaths has also been highlighted within Caithness and community responses have led to Highland Council investing in better mental health support within the county.

Scottish Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands David Stewart called for an end to the stigma surrounding people who use drugs problematically and has demanded a national response to the public health emergency.

He said: “People who misuse drugs and their families need urgent action. Safe consumption facilities and increased rapid access to residential rehabilitation are vital and could happen today."

Meanwhile, Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Matthew Reiss, a retired police officer, talked about the need to prioritise education on the matter as a way of dealing with the rise in fatalities at a local level.

He said: "Everybody has different views on tackling the problem and it may take a generation to educate young people that there is nothing smart or cool about taking drugs."

Councillor Reiss admits it is a "sensitive topic" to discuss, "especially for those families who have lost a loved one due to the scourge of drugs".

"There are two main reasons why people take drugs, I've found. There are those who think it's a social thing to do and do it without much thought. The second group, however, tend to be people who take drugs as a form of escapism from their own very difficult personal circumstances. They think drugs will help resolve their issues but they don't."

He said that police enforcement backed up by rehabilitation is the best way forward but there needs to be an immediate cash injection.

"Why is there such a problem here? I think there is probably a very simple reason for that and perhaps it is to do with the specialist programmes that are available south of the border."

Councillor Reiss said that though there may be different approaches posited to tackle the issues they all needed to be backed up by "long-term hard cash and staff".

"I remember one drugs nurse, from when I worked at Inverness, who told me that when an addict was in prison he at least didn't miss his appointments with her. When they're out in the community with a chaotic lifestyle they frequently miss their appointments."

Though he talks about money, dedicated staff and better drugs education as key components in tackling the issue, the councillor drew on his personal experiences to help explain what he thinks lies at the root of the problem.

"From my time in the police, I've found that many of those addicted to hard drugs are very lonely people. I remember one drug addict in the cells in Thurso tell me that police officers were his only friends."

The Thurso councillor thinks that the isolation people experienced during lockdown may have exacerbated people's insecurities but the "one silver lining to the cloud is that Caithness has a lot of good Samaritans in it" who are watching out for others.

Time to take action on mental health issues, says Caithness councillor

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