North MSP calls for action over 'shocking' number of drug deaths
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URGENT action is needed to tackle the "absolutely shocking" number of drug deaths in the Highlands and other parts of Scotland, according to north MSP John Finnie.
He made the call after figures this week revealed Scotland has the highest rate of drug deaths in the European Union. The statistics show 1187 people died due to drugs, including 36 in the Highlands, last year. The Scottish figure represents a 27 per cent increase from 2017.
The Highlands and Islands Green MSP says he would like to see a different approach taken to deal with the problem.
"We’ve known for some time that Scotland is in the grip of a drugs death emergency but these figures are still absolutely shocking and show that families in Highland are dealing with the effects of this crisis," Mr Finnie said.
"Every single one of these deaths is a tragedy. When it comes to drugs, criminalisation has caused more harm than it can claim to have prevented.
"The ‘war on drugs’ approach has self-evidently failed. Addiction is better tackled by trained medical professionals, not with the strong arm of the law. If we are to avoid seeing thousands more lives tragically lost then both the UK and Scottish governments must commit to immediately adopting an evidence-based public health approach."
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone is also concerned about the problem and says changes need to be made.
"Scotland’s drug death rate is nearly triple that of the UK, showing that Scottish drugs policy has utterly failed. We urgently need changes to be made to address this issue," the Liberal Democrats' Scottish affairs spokesman said.
"Services cannot afford a repeat of the 20 per cent cut ministers made in 2016/17 – a mistake they are still recovering from."
"We have set out a clear, practical plan for how to turn this around, including protecting drug and alcohol partnership budgets, sending people to treatment instead of prison, and establishing proposals for a Scotland-wide network for the provision of heroin-assisted treatment.
"A crisis like this needs bold thinking and I can only hope these figures are a wake-up call to the Scottish Government."
