Drug deaths in Scotland have increased to a new record peak for the seventh year in a row, according to “horrifying and heartbreaking” figures published today.
The “shocking” news that 1,339 people died from drugs in 2020 means that Scotland’s drug death rate remains by far the worst in Europe.
After the figures were published, Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said a “united national effort” was needed to tackle the “national shame.”
He called for Nicola Sturgeon to stop stalling and back the Scottish Conservatives’ proposal for a Right to Recovery Bill.
The Bill, developed with recovery and treatment experts, would enshrine in law that everyone can access the treatment they need, including a residential rehabilitation place.
Seven frontline organisations have now backed the Bill, developed with FAVOR Scotland and Shelter’s Time for Change project.
Douglas Ross and Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Annie Wells MSP, will both attend a drug death memorial event in Glasgow today.
More than 10,000 people (10,663) have now lost their lives to drugs since the SNP Government came to power.
At First Minister’s Questions in June, Douglas Ross highlighted that despite the SNP claiming to be acting to tackle the crisis, people are still being denied access to treatment, in some cases for years.
In April, Nicola Sturgeon admitted under questioning from Douglas Ross that the government had taken ‘its eye off the ball’ on the drug death crisis.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “These latest statistics are horrifying and heartbreaking. Behind every number is a lost loved one and a broken family.
“These shocking figures alone cannot capture the agony, pain and devastation that the drugs crisis is causing in communities across Scotland.
“The drugs crisis is our national shame. It is a stain on Scotland that so many of our most vulnerable people have been left without hope, crushed by a system that is thoroughly broken.
“This is not a day for political posturing but it is a simple fact that the government’s small steps are not cutting it. The crisis is getting worse and spiralling out of control.
“We need a united national effort to make the drastic changes necessary to overhaul the broken system.
“The Scottish Conservatives are bringing forward a Right to Recovery Bill to guarantee in law that everyone who needs treatment can get it.
“This proposal has the backing of frontline groups and experts across the political spectrum. SNP MSPs are reportedly on board privately. We only need the government to wake up, stop stalling and support it.
“The Scottish Parliament passed Covid laws in three days. We can introduce a Right to Recovery law swiftly if we adopt a similar sense of urgency.
“Overnight, we won’t end this crisis. But we can start on the right path today and take the necessary action now, if the government throws their weight behind this proposal.”
Notes
The Right to Recovery Bill proposal is here: https://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Right-to-Recovery.pdf
The figures over the last 13 years are here:
2007 – 455
2008 – 574
2009 – 545
2010 – 485
2011 – 584
2012 – 581
2013 – 527
2014 – 614
2015 – 706
2016 – 868
2017 – 934
2018 – 1187
2019 – 1264
2020 - 1339
Total – 10,663