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Scotland backs proposals to decriminalise drugs

clairegdickson
Scottish flag flying

Trigger warning: discussion of drugs and addiction

Claire Dickson

The Scottish government has backed proposals to decriminalise the personal use of drugs in Scotland.

Why is there a drug problem in Scotland?

Scotland is known for having the highest rates of drug-related death than any other European country. The Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) estimates that 60,000 people in Scotland have a drug problem, and they say this harrowing statistic is down to high rates of poverty.

The SDF also report that people suffering from drug issues in Scotland are often from marginalised communities who had poor engagement in education services. They also said these individuals are likely to have suffered from mental health issues and have experienced the criminal system early on.

What are the Scottish government’s plans?

Scotland’s Drugs Policy Minister, Elena Whitham, announced on Friday, 7 July, that “the war on drugs has failed.”

She told the BBC: That’s a fact. I don’t think we can dispute that.

“Our current drug law does not stop people from using drugs, it does not stop people from experiencing the harm associated and, critically, it does not stop people from dying.

“In fact, I would say today here, that criminalisation increases the harms people experience. Criminalisation kills.”

At the same press conference, she called for a public health approach to tackling the drugs crisis in Scotland. This approach would decriminalise all drugs for personal use, but it would remain an offence to supply drugs to others.

Proposals also suggested the setting up of drug consumption rooms across Scotland so people could use drugs in a safer way. However, attempt to introduce these rooms to Glasgow were rejected by the UK government.

There were also measures within the proposals intended to make the consumption of drugs safer, such as increased access to life-saving drugs, Naloxone. Naloxone is a drug that temporarily reverses the negative impacts of taking opioid drugs like heroin and methadone.

Advocates said they have been tested throughout the world and proven to work. In fact, Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a national Naloxone programme which provided take-home naloxone kits.

Will these proposals be implemented?

But, the power to do anything lies with the government at Westminster. Whitham called for the UK government to back proposals to decriminalise drugs or devolve the power to do so the Scottish government can do it themselves.

“It remains to be seen whether or not minds can meet on the safest option for Scotland”

But Rishi Sunak’s “tough stance” on drugs currently means there are no plans to put such plans in place.

Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, also opposed the measures and said “the short answer is no, I don’t think this sounds like a good policy.”

More recently, several ex-police officers who are spokespeople for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership claimed the new proposals could save lives and damage organised crime groups who control the flow of drugs.

The group believes that decriminalisation is the only way to stop gangs gaining huge profit from selling drugs and contributing to Scotland’s overdose issue.

Former drugs squad and serious crime squad investigator, Simon McLean suggested that the Misuse of Drugs Act is”not fit for purpose.”

He told the Daily Record: “I can say with a fair deal of certainty that very few police officers currently believe that any war on drugs is worth pursuing. It is most certainly not a war that can be won.

“All this talk of being tough on drug gangs, of beefing up officer numbers to tackle the flow of drugs, is just nonsense that is not doing anything to reduce the amount of drugs on the streets.

“Very few police officers currently believe that any war on drugs is worth pursuing.”

It remains to be seen whether or not an agreement can be made on the safest option for Scotland and which measures will work in combatting the significant drugs problem there.

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Featured image courtesy of Chris Robert on Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image license can be found here. 

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