Scottish Tories: Drug death figures must show ‘substantial reduction’

Scotland’s drug death figures, to be published on Thursday, must show a “substantial reduction” from last year’s record-high rates, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

The party has warned the Scottish Government it would be “shameful” to spin the figures as a success if Scotland’s fatality rate continues to be the worst in Europe.

The National Records of Scotland will publish the 2021 figures on Thursday.

Figures for 2020, published last year, showed that 1,339 people died from substance misuse – the highest number on record in the country.

Scotland’s drug-death rate was 4.9 times higher than in England and Wales and four times higher than Sweden and Norway – the European nations with the next highest fatality rate.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, health spokesperson for the Scottish Tories, said only a major reduction in fatalities would be a sign of meaningful progress.

“Scotland’s drug-deaths epidemic is a national tragedy which ought to shame the SNP Government,” he said.

“The number of fatalities has risen year on year on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch to last year’s appalling record high of 1,339.

“These figures mean Scotland has not just the worst death rate per head of population in Europe – but the worst by such an enormous margin that it’s hard to get your head around.

“We desperately need to see a substantial reduction in the number of fatalities when the 2021 figures are announced tomorrow.”

His comments follow a report from the Drug Deaths Taskforce which called for a cultural change and to end the discrimination around addiction.

It made 20 recommendations with 139 specific actions to be taken by the Scottish and UK Governments.

The recommendations include moving towards a care approach rather than a punitive one, and legislation on safe drug consumption rooms.

Dr Gulhane added: “We desperately need to see a substantial reduction in the number of fatalities when the 2021 figures are announced tomorrow.

“The SNP cannot claim success when we’re still losing 1,000 people every single year.

“It would be shameful if they tried to spin Scotland still having the worst drug-death rate in Europe as some kind of victory.”

And he urged Ministers to back the Right to Recovery bill, proposed by the Tories, which would enshrine in law the right of everyone with addiction problems to receive treatment.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Every life lost to addiction is a tragedy and our sympathy goes to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

“With the backing of an additional £250 million over the course of this parliament, we are focused on delivery and change on the ground, implementing approaches we know can help save lives. Work will continue at pace to address the emergency.

“We welcomed the final report from the Drugs Deaths Taskforce, which we established to provide expert advice on the emergency response to rising drug-related deaths in Scotland.

“Many of the recommendations proposed in previous reports have already been implemented, including the expansion of the police naloxone pilot, or are in progress.

“We are determined to go far further and the taskforce’s recommendations in their final report will be central to delivering that.”