A Conservative candidate in the forthcoming Holyrood elections is urging the SNP government to do more to tackle Scotland’s ‘deeply-embedded’ drink and drug problem. Miles Briggs says cuts to funding to tackle the epidemic are ‘scandalous’.
There was a significant rise in the amount of people under the influence of drink or drugs seeking ambulance assistance over the festive period in Edinburgh, latest figures have revealed.
Statistics from a Freedom of Information request shows a 21 per cent rise in ambulance crews attending to people under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the city between 1 December and 4 January.
In the capital, emergency crews attended to 343 causalities under the influence in 2015/16 – compared to just 282 in 2014/15.
The SNP government recently cut direct funding to Addiction Scotland by £15 million. The charity provides vital services to people with substance misuse problems.
And the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has risen to its highest level since records began with the National Records of Scotland revealing 613 people died as the result of drug in 2014.
There were also 1,152 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland in 2014 and 35,059 alcohol-related hospital stays in 2014/15.
Scottish Conservative Lothians candidate Miles Briggs said: “These are worrying figures for Edinburgh and show that more needs to be done by the SNP government to address the deeply embedded drink and drugs problem we have in Scotland.
“Although Christmas and New Year is traditionally a time for people to be merry and enjoy themselves, nobody wants to end up in the back of ambulance.
“The rise in these incidents puts enormous pressure on hard-working ambulance staff and there must be a way or reducing the amount of casualties who end up in A&E because of addictive substances.
“Over the years the Scottish Government has reduced the amount of money it gives to drug and alcohol partnerships and this is scandalous.
“As the capital city of Scotland we should be setting an example and it is clear there are simply not enough funding and support coming through from the SNP to stop this epidemic in its tracks. The situation cannot be allowed to get any worse.”
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