Drug deaths in Scotland continue to rise – and a political ‘blame game’ isn’t helping

The Scottish National Party and Westminster are each pointing to the other’s failures in addressing the harm that drugs are causing – this helps nobody, writes Ian Hamilton

Drug users prepare heroin before injecting, while inside a safe consumption van (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

For the seventh year in a row, deaths due to drugs have risen in Scotland. This year’s total is 1,339 – up 5 per cent on the previous year, which itself was a new record.

The majority of drug deaths in Scotland involve benzodiazepines, a class of drugs that include diazepam – sometimes referred to as Valium. These drugs have been prescribed for decades, but it is not prescribed benzodiazepines that are killing so many Scots, it is illicit versions that vary significantly in strength. This lack of quality control and potency mean those using the drugs often don’t know how strong they are until it’s too late.

It’s also telling that those living in the most deprived areas were 18 times more likely to die due from drugs than those from the most affluent areas in Scotland, according to the research. So, while drugs are ubiquitous, the fatal effects are not.

Such a crisis should bring politicians together to try and use their power and influence to halt the year-on-year rise in fatalities, but instead, the opposite is happening. The all too familiar “blame game” is being played out between the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Westminster – each pointing to the other’s failures in addressing the harm that drugs are causing.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has acknowledged that they “took their eye off the ball” in appreciating that Scotland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe, and has promised to act. This includes investing in treatment and appointing Angela Constance as minister to lead on drug policy.

Treatment – or rather, the lack of it – has been one factor in contributing to the record rise in deaths, as Scotland has the unenviable position of having the lowest uptake and retention in treatment of anywhere in the UK and beyond. It may seem obvious, but being in treatment saves lives – as it is known to reduce the risk of fatal overdose. But the pandemic changed the way treatment was provided, as many services became virtual or relied on phone contact. All well and good if you have access to a computer or phone, but a clear challenge if you are homeless, which unfortunately a significant proportion of high risk drug users are.

What is really needed to abate the horrific rise in drug-related deaths is political courage

Organisations providing this type of specialist treatment have welcomed the announcement of additional funding, but as Karen Biggs, chief executive of drugs charity Phoenix Futures, put it: “We have yet to see the impact of the additional funding. We know people still find it hard to get into treatment and to get the treatment they need. Things are working very slowly, and we would like to see everyone working much faster to spend the money available, create better choices for people to access the treatment that works for them in line with clinical guidance. Only then will everyone, regardless of where they live, have a chance to get well again and families will avoid the heartbreak of losing a loved one.”

There are many health problems that are fiendishly difficult to solve, but this isn’t one of them. There are evidence-based solutions that could be implemented rapidly that would just as quickly start to save lives. Some are controversial – such as providing “drug consumption rooms” – but others are more pedestrian, including providing optimal doses of methadone: the substitute drug for heroin. The latter would require little in the way of resources.

But what is really needed to abate the horrific rise in drug-related deaths is political courage. Politicians need to care less about focus groups and tuning into public opinion, as this is an issue that attracts meagre public sympathy – until, of course, it’s someone you know that dies due to drugs.

Without that political conviction and leadership, it’s almost certain that this year’s record rise will be trumped next year – and the year after that.