By Bill Heaney
Scottish Labour and the Liberals have demanded action as a new report shows families and communities being devastated by drug deaths.
The report analysing drug deaths from 2019 and 2020 has revealed that more than 600 children lost a parent or parental figure as a result of a drug-related death.
The same report shows the most deprived communities are being hit hardest by this crisis, with more than half of all those who died coming from the most deprived parts of Scotland.
More than two thirds of people who lost their lives due to drugs in this time were in contact with a service that could have helped address their problematic drug use or reduce harm, raising fresh questions about whether services are equipped to deliver the support people need.
Scottish Labour today accused the SNP of failing to get a grip on the drug deaths crisis, with the most recent annual statistics on drug deaths showing a 12 per cent increase between 2022 and 2023.
Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “This devastating report lays bare the toll Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is taking on families and communities across Scotland.
Labour’s Dame Jackie Baillie and LibDem leader Alex Cole Hamilton.
“Hundreds of children have lost a parent needlessly, and the most deprived communities have once again paid the harshest price for government failure.
“This is a human tragedy and a national scandal.
“For too long the SNP has failed to get a grip on this public health emergency, leaving many lifeline services overstretched and unable to provide the support people desperately need.
“We urgently need a real plan to address this crisis and save lives, from delivering harm reduction measures to ensuring all services are equipped to help those who need it.”
Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP urged ministers to use every tool at their disposal to stop people dying from drugs after a new report laid bare the scale of the crisis.
An analysis of drug deaths registered in 2019 and 2020 in Scotland found that:
- 602 children were reported to have lost a parent or a parental figure as a result of a drug related death;
- Over half of people who died resided in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods;
- Two thirds of people who died were in contact with a service with the potential to address their problematic drug use or deliver harm reduction interventions in the six months before their death.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is bringing untold suffering for families and communities across the country. Deaths have more than doubled over the last decade; it is a public health emergency that remains the worst in Europe.
“The SNP Government must explain why earlier this year they saw fit to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy- a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services. I worry that those services could suffer further cuts which would seriously undermine their ability to support all those who need it.
“Ministers must use every tool at their disposal to stop people dying. This includes rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities- centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and present new pathways for treatment and recovery.”