Drug deaths in Scotland rise 11% as country struggles with w

Key Takeaways

• In a statement to parliament, Alcohol and Drugs Minister Maree Todd described the deaths as devastating, deeply concerning and unacceptable
• She warned of growing risks from "highly potent synthetic substances, changing patterns of drug use, and high levels of people using multiple drugs at
• Todd told MSPs that bereaved families remained "at the heart" of the government's approach
• She said ministers had funded more than 1,100 residential rehabilitation placements last year and had increased the country's rehabilitation bed capac
• However, she said there was much more to be done

In a statement to parliament, Alcohol and Drugs Minister Maree Todd described the deaths as devastating, deeply concerning and unacceptable.

She warned of growing risks from "highly potent synthetic substances, changing patterns of drug use, and high levels of people using multiple drugs at the same time".

Todd told MSPs that bereaved families remained "at the heart" of the government's approach.

She said ministers had funded more than 1,100 residential rehabilitation placements last year and had increased the country's rehabilitation bed capacity. However, she said there was much more to be done.

Todd told parliament that a new strategic plan would deepen links between treatment, housing and other services, and target support at the communities most at risk.

She noted that the the country's first local drug-checking service would open in Glasgow next month. MSPs were told similar sites would soon open in Aberdeen, Dundee, to be followed by a facility in Edinburgh.

The minister also vowed to improve information sharing and accountability, and to address workforce issues.

She added: "Our vision is for a Scotland where people receive the support they need in their communities with a system that not only treats illness but helps to prevent it through earlier intervention."

At Holyrood, Scottish Labour's health spokesperson Jackie Baillie described the figures as "a national scandal".

She accused the government of working at a "snail's pace" to introduce drug-checking services, and questioned whether measures introduced by the government would keep up with developments in synthetic substances.

Reform UK Scotland deputy leader Thomas Kerr accused ministers of failing families and urged them to "wake up and take action".

He called for a dedicated government department to tackle drug deaths and more funding for rehabilitation.

Scottish Conservative spokesman Miles Briggs said there had been 16,082 drugs deaths in the past 20 years, equivalent to the population of St Andrews.

"If the Scottish government was a health board, it would be put into special measures," he told MSPs.

Briggs said there needed to be a "national shift to rehabilitation and a right to recovery".

Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesman Adam Harley urged the government to roll out safer drugs consumption centres across the country "so that people at greatest risk have life-saving support and better access to other services".

Maree Todd said it was "not a simple process" to open such facilities across the country, but that the process had begun in Edinburgh. She added that drug-checking facilities should be available to all those who take drugs, but that they were restricted under Home Office rules to people who are dependent on one or more illicit drugs.

In a statement, Scottish Green spokesperson Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill said a major expansion of harm reduction and treatment services was needed, including safe consumption facilities, drug checking, heroin-assisted treatment and stabilisation services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Drug deaths in Scotland rise 11% as coun?

The figure rose by 11% last year, bringing the total deaths in a decade to more than 11,000.

Originally reported by BBC News. Enhanced and optimized for search by TechVeb.