People committing drug-related offences could be directed away from the criminal justice system as part of a new national strategy to prioritise treatment ahead of punishment.
The Scottish Government’s plan to reduce drug and alcohol-related harm advocates approaching substance misuse as a public health issue, and will see problem users increasingly moved towards support services.
The strategy, announced at the Cairn Centre in Dundee on Wednesday, along with a £20 million annual funding pledge, aims to tackle Scotland’s issues with drugs and alcohol by addressing wider problems around housing and unemployment.
It found those facing addiction have often previously seen their lives impacted by social ills such as inequality, trauma and poverty, and suggests support rather than stigmatisation is needed to address the problem.
Public health minister Joe FitzPatrick insisted he will not shy away from “innovative, evidence-based approaches”, such as safe drug consumption rooms, even if they make people uncomfortable.
He said: “Improving how we support people harmed by drugs and alcohol is one of the hardest and most complex problems we face.
“But I am clear that the ill-health and deaths caused by substance misuse are avoidable and we must do everything we can to prevent them.
“Our strategy is about treating people and all their complex needs, not just the substance use, tackling the inequalities and traumas behind it and intervening early.”
