Scotland’s Minister for Drugs Policy has admitted people are still being “let down” by addiction services and said she is “deeply sorry” for those who have not had the right help to address issues with alcohol and drugs.
She described the situation – which in 2020 saw 1,339 die drug related deaths and 1,190 people die due to alcohol – as Scotland’s “second public health emergency” after Covid-19.
But she insisted that the “national mission” to reduce drug and alcohol harms, announced by the First Minister last January along with an investment of £250 million over five years, showed commitment to practical and “cultural” change.
Angela Constance, pictured above, was speaking to The Ferret and the BBC ahead of a co-produced documentary – From the Margins – which aired last night on Monday, 28 March at 8pm and is available on the BBC iplayer.
A series of stories looking at overlapping issues including homelessness, addiction, mental health, trauma and the care system will also run on The Ferret this week, as part of a series of the same name.
The film and stories have been created in collaboration with a small team of citizen journalists, mentored by The Ferret, who have direct experience of addiction, homelessness or mental health issues.
While drugs laws are reserved to Westminster and can only be changed with the UK Government’s say so, health and social policy are devolved to the Scottish Government.
