Reducing drug deaths must be priority for all parties, says Salvation Army

Reducing drug deaths must be a priority for all political parties in the run-up to May’s election, the Salvation Army has said.

The Christian charity has written to all of Holyrood’s political parties following the publication of suspected drug death figures showed an 8% increase in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Since 2021, the number of drug deaths has remained above 1,000, but the Salvation Army claims the number of fatalities in the addiction services it runs across the UK have fallen by 60%, crediting the “harm reduction approach” it takes.

Lee Ball, the director of addiction services at the charity, said: “The suspected drugs deaths figures vividly capture the scale of the challenge we still face in Scotland, with every death a tragedy for individuals, their families and friends.

“The Salvation Army is urging all political parties to maintain progress that’s been made but also ensure that reducing drug deaths is a priority for the next Scottish Parliament.

“We know a fraction of people affected by substance use in Scotland are offered the help they need − both short-term help to survive and longer-term help to thrive.”

He added: “As a provider of addiction services, the Salvation Army has helped hundreds of people overcome the harm caused by drugs.

“By introducing drug-testing and ensuring that naloxone, the opioid antidote, is always at hand we are saving lives and giving people a chance to thrive with a compassionate, harm-reduction approach.

“About 44% of all deaths among people experiencing homelessness are drug‑related. At The Salvation Army’s sites this is around 21%.

“A lot of very good policy work has taken place in Scotland and that continues with Scotland’s Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan.

“However, far too many services are not open when the need is greatest, at evenings and weekends.

“We found that only one-in-five drug services in Scotland are open at the weekend.

“Our Breaking The Cycle report contains seven key recommendations, some of which can help policy makers after the election maintain downward pressure on the tragic death toll from drugs in Scotland and give people a chance to rebuild their lives.”