Decriminalisation of all drugs for personal supply is one of a number of polices which the Scottish Government is calling on the UK Government to implement in a new paper on drug law reform.
The move would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded. Decriminalisation would also mean that without a criminal record, people in recovery would have a better chance of employment.
The document has been published by the Scottish Government outlining measures which could be implemented through further devolution, independence, or changes enacted immediately by the UK Government to support the work being done within existing powers to reduce drug deaths.
Among the proposals are:
Decriminalisation of all drugs for personal supply progressed as part of a wider review of drug laws
Immediate legislative changes to allow us to fully and properly implement harm reduction measures such as supervised drug consumption facilities (rather than the current proposal being explored which is constrained by having to work within existing legislation), drug checking and increased access to the life saving drug naloxone.
a roadmap for further exploration of drug law reform, focused on evidence and the reduction of harm, including an update of the drug classification system to be based on harms caused
The proposals follow recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce in September 2021.
Minister for Drugs Policy Elena Whitham said: “These are ambitious and radical proposals, grounded in evidence, that will help save lives.
“We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society. While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives.
“We are working hard within the powers we have to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more we need to do, our approach is simply at odds with the Westminster legislation we must operate within.
“These policies could be implemented by the Scottish Government through the devolution of further, specific powers to Holyrood including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 – or through independence. An immediate way for these policies to be enacted would be for the UK Government to use its existing powers to change its drug laws.
“Scotland needs a caring, compassionate and human rights informed drugs policy, with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles, and we are ready to work with the UK Government to put into practice this progressive policy.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Trying to solve Scotland’s drug death crisis by decriminalising dangerous class-A drugs is reckless.
“To tackle the highest drug death rate in Europe, Humza Yousaf needs to back our Right to Recovery Bill.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have been calling for the decriminalisation of drug misuse for years. From rehab spaces to support for families, there are pressing areas where action is needed. This is an urgent public health crisis and ministers need to act like it.
Three men have been jailed after pleading guilty to running a county drug line between London and Edinburgh.
Michael Orguns, 24, Harrison Kimpembe, 27 and Kalil Nuur, 20, all from London were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today (Friday, 13 January).
They had previously pleaded guilty to drug supply offences in connection with £130,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine recovered in Edinburgh between 6 April and the October, 2021.
Orguns (above), who was recognised by the court as being in control of the drug line and principal member of the group, was sentenced to five years and three months.
Kimpembe (above) was sentenced to five years and Nuur sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment.
It followed an investigation by the specialist Edinburgh County Lines Unit.
Detective Sergeant David Wright said: “We welcome the conviction of these three men and this significant recovery of controlled drugs and subsequent conviction sends a strong message to those who deal drugs in our communities.
“We are committed to identifying and disrupting the supply chains which bring drugs into Edinburgh and we worked closely with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police to identify those involved.”
“The county lines model shows crime does not respect borders and we are committed to identifying and bringing offenders such as Kimpembe, Orguns and Nuur to justice, wherever in the country they are based.
“Intelligence is the lifeblood of investigations such as this. Communities should not have to tolerate the damage caused by drugs and I would urge anyone with information which can help us deal with those responsible to pass this on.”
“If anyone has any concerns regarding the abuse of controlled drugs, or anyone who may be involved in the supply of controlled drugs, they are urged to contact Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Detectives are appealing for information following an assault in Edinburgh on Saturday (7 January 2023).
Around 8.35pm, a 36-year-old man was approached by a man, who attempted to strike him with a weapon. The attack took place in Cumnor Crescent.
Extensive enquiries are ongoing to help trace the man responsible.
The suspect is described as white, in his mid to late teens, around 5ft 6in tall and of skinny build. He was wearing a tracksuit, with a black balaclava, black gloves, and possibly a black body warmer.
Following the assault the suspect was seen entering a brown Mitsubishi Outlander which drove off towards Glenvarloch Crescent.
Enquiries have revealed the vehicle was stolen from Brighouse Park Close in the early hours of Saturday, 7 January, 2023.
A brown Mitsubishi Outlander was discovered on fire in Foxglove Close, Edinburgh, at around 12.10am on Monday, 9 January, 2023.
The vehicle is quite distinctive with roof bars and a tow bar at the rear.
Police are keen to speak to anyone who might have information to help trace those responsible.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait, from Edinburgh CID, said: “Thankfully the man was not injured but it is vital we trace those responsible.
“This appears to have been a targeted attack and we do not believe there was any risk to the wider public.
“A brown Mitsubishi Outlander was discovered on fire in Foxglove Close, Edinburgh, and we believe it may be linked to the incident.
“I would like to hear from anyone who recognises the vehicle and may have information about its movements over the past few days.
“We’re also keen to hear from anyone with potential dashcam footage or private CCTV, as it could prove vital to our enquiries.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident number 3142 of 7 January, 2023.
Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
A novel harm reduction initiative to help healthcare staff monitor and treat people who inject drugs has helped support more than 800 vulnerable people since launching.
The WAND programme, which incentivises the city’s most hard-to-reach communities to regularly engage with the health service, has helped facilitate more than 5,000 harm reduction interventions across three participating sites, with more than 1,200 WAND assessments taking place since the programme launched in September 2020.
Operating from three centres in Glasgow, the programme focusses on providing a holistic approach to addressing drug harms such as overdoses, blood borne viruses, and injecting related complications. It comprises:
W: Wound Care
A: Assessment of Injecting Risk
N: Naloxone Provision
D: Dry Blood Spot Testing
People who inject drugs can be hard to keep engaged with the health service, which is crucial in helping reduce the harms of drugs by providing advice and treatments and access to other services to help them.
WAND works by providing a £20 redeemable voucher to patients and encourages patients to return for follow up assessments every three – four months. The vouchers can then be exchanged for cash or other essentials. It’s one of a number of harm reduction programmes running across NHSGGC to help tackle the drugs crisis.
Through the interventions, staff can provide immediate care to the patients, helping avoid trips to A&E or further harm being caused further down the line. It also ensures that if a patient has a Blood Borne Virus such as HIV for example, this can be picked up at an early stage through dry blood spot testing and appropriate information and treatment can be provided to the patient.
John Campbell, Injection Equipment Provision Manager for NHSGGC, said: “WAND is by far the most successful harm reduction initiative running in Glasgow today. Individuals we look after come from the hardest to reach communities and WAND provides us with an insight and touch point with them that we would never previously have had.
“This means that through early intervention we can stop problems getting worse, which would cost more to address had they gone undiagnosed or untreated, and we can also encourage those patients to consider moving into recovery or to engage with other means of support to help them.”
As part of the 30 minute assessment, patients are also encouraged to carry naloxone with them at all times. Naloxone is a lifesaving injectable which is used to reverse overdoses. In the past year alone more than 3000 naloxone kits have been distributed, and more than 18,000 have been issued in total. Every week there are instances of naloxone being used to reverse overdoses in patients.
John Campbell added: “Naloxone is literally a life-saving device for many people. If we can ensure that our patients are trained and carry the kit at all times, it means that we’ll hopefully see far fewer deaths as a result of overdose in the future.”
The WAND initiative was recently referenced in the Scottish Drugs Deaths Taskforce report, which made the recommendation that the programme be rolled out on a larger scale due to its success in supporting and monitoring patients in the city.
Official statistics for 2021 show decrease of just 1%
While welcoming an end to seven annual increases in drugs deaths, Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance made clear the situation remains “unacceptable”, and work will continue at pace to address the emergency.
The latest National Records of Scotland statistics show 1,330 people lost their lives in 2021 – a decrease of 1% and Ms Constance says it is clear there remains much work to do to save lives.
A national mission was announced in January 2021 to tackle rising death deaths in Scotland with additional funding of £250 million over the course of this Parliament.
The first year of the national mission has seen the introduction of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards, the expansion of residential rehabilitation provision, the setting of a new treatment target, increased funding to community and grass-roots organisations and the laying of ground work for innovation such as Safer Drug Consumption Facilities.
1,330 people lost their lives to drug misuse in Scotland in 2021, according to latest figures published by National Records of Scotland.
The number is 1% lower than 2020 which makes it the first year since 2013 in which drug misuse deaths have not increased. However, it is still the second highest annual total on record.
Of those who died from the misuse of drugs, 65% were aged between 35 and 54 years old and more than two thirds (70%) were men.
Dundee City had the highest age-standardised drug misuse death rate of all local authority areas (45.2 per 100,000 population for the 5-year period 2017-2021), followed by Glasgow City (44.4) and Inverclyde (35.7).
Julie Ramsay, Vital Events Statistician at NRS, said: “Drug misuse deaths have increased substantially over the past few decades – there were more than five times as many deaths in 2021 compared with 1996. 2021 is the first year since 2013 that drug misuse deaths have not increased.
“In 2021, after adjusting for age, people in the most deprived areas were more than 15 times as likely to have a drug misuse death as those in the least deprived areas. This ratio has widened over the past two decades.”
In 93% of all drug misuse deaths, more than one drug was found to be present in the body, and the type of drugs that are implicated in deaths has been changing. In 2015 there were 191 deaths involving benzodiazepines, last year there were 918, near five times as many.
This increase has mostly been driven by street benzodiazepines rather than those which are prescribed. Of all drug misuse deaths in 2021, 84% involved opiates or opioids (such as heroin, morphine and methadone). 69% involved benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and etizolam).
In 2020 (the most recent year available for the rest of the UK) Scotland’s drug misuse rate was 3.7 times that for the UK as a whole, and higher than that of any European country.
Ms Constance said: “Scotland suffers a terrible toll from drug deaths, leaving families grieving and in pain and my heart goes out to all those affected by the death of a loved one through drugs.
“These latest statistics provide yet more heart-breaking reading, and the situation remains unacceptable. While there is so much more work to do, every life saved means one less family grieving and I am determined we can use this halt in the upward trend of recent years as a platform for real change.
“My focus now is on taking action and delivering new investment to improve services and get more people into the treatment which works for them. Residential rehabilitation is one of a range of treatment options available and today I am visiting River Garden Auchincruive to speak to residents and staff about the services provided. Later I will be meeting some families affected by a loved one’s drug use and asking what more we can do to help.
“I am concerned about the rise in deaths among women and will look to expand on current steps we are taking including the provision of two Mother and Child Residential Recovery Houses which will enable women to receive support while staying with their children.
“Despite regional differences, we are focused on a national mission and I’ll continue to use all the powers at my disposal, including holding local leaders to account in implementing the MAT standards, to drive improvements across Scotland.
“We are already implementing many of the recommendations from The Drug Deaths Taskforce, which issued its final recommendations last week, and I will report back on further actions to Parliament.
“In the first year of the National Mission we built the foundations for change. Now, with the backing of £250 million over the course of this Parliament, we will deliver on those foundations and our new Oversight Group will provide scrutiny, challenge and expert advice on the National Mission as we continue our efforts to improve and save lives.”
River Garden Operations Manager Mikael Heddelin said: “We offer a very different approach to recovery which allows residents to leave behind their addictions.
“Importantly that comes from communal support of peers and meaningful and qualitative work via our on-site social enterprises. We provide training, help develop competence in a range of areas and facilitate reintegration back into society.
“Peer support and lived experience are key elements in the recovery journey at River Garden. Our ethos and culture allows our residents to recover without stigma and the local community play a huge part in what we do.”
River Garden resident Paul said: “I grew up in care and began using drugs at the age of 12. Throughout my life I tried various rehabs, none of them worked.
“At the age of 47 I joined River Garden. I have been here almost two years and I have purpose and self-worth. I’m happy and healthy and I feel good about myself.
“River Garden has been totally transformational for me. I really enjoy the work and the camaraderie. I have made many friends amongst the volunteers, the visitors and the contactors who work at River Garden.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs commented: ““My deepest condolences are with the family and friends of those who have died due to drugs.
“In Lothian the number of people who died due to drug misuse last year has doubled from ten years ago.
“SNP Ministers approach to tackling drug deaths is an unequivocal failure with drug deaths continuing to rise in Lothian for the last six years.
“If Angela Constance, the Minister for Drugs Policy, can’t reduce drug deaths in her own region of Lothian, then this does not bode well for the rest of Scotland.
“SNP and Green Ministers must get on board with the Scottish Conservatives Right to Rehab Bill, to ensure that everyone who needs rehabilitation for drugs has access to it.
“These latest shocking numbers clearly suggest that there is a particular problem in turning around the situation in Lothian. If that is the case, then SNP Ministers must consider direct control over drug services to drive urgent reforms.”
LAST Friday (15th July), officers from the Drylaw Locality Initiative Team executed a warrant on Wardieburn Place East, uncovering a cannabis cultivation with a potential street value of £400,000.
Two men have since been remanded in custody.
This is one of three cultivations uncovered by the Drylaw team over the past three weeks in the North of Edinburgh, totalling the recovery of drugs to a value in excess of three quarters of a million pounds.
National charity Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs has won a major UK award for its work supporting anyone concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use in Scotland.
Their innovative ‘click-and-deliver’ service, providing the drug naloxone, which can reverse an opioid-related overdose, was just one of its services praised by the award judges.
Following a rigorous selection and assessment process, Scottish Families was chosen from more than 350 charities across the UK as one of the 10 winners of the 2022 GSK IMPACT Awards.
Now in their 25th year, the awards are designed to recognise the outstanding work of small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.
This year winners will receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as expert support and leadership development provided by leading health and care charity The King’s Fund.
Substance use remains a major issue in Scotland, with 2,529 people losing their lives to alcohol and drugs in 2020. The number of drug-related deaths was 5 per cent more than in 2019 and 2020 saw the highest increase of alcohol-specific deaths registered since 2008.
Scottish Families offers support to people whose loved ones are living with an alcohol or drug issue. The charity works across Scotland to increase awareness of the impact drug and alcohol use has on family members, who can experience psychological distress, mental and physical ill health, domestic violence, and financial issues.
Their work is not limited to close family, Scottish Families also offers support to anyone directly affected by the harm caused by an individual’s alcohol or drug use.
Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity has continued to provide a range of services, including an advice helpline, one-to-one bereavement support, and local family services.
From April 2020 to March 2021 Scottish Families supported almost 2,000 family members across its services, from all 32 council areas in Scotland. This included more than 2,350 helpline contacts, a 66 per cent increase on the previous year.
The award judges praised Scottish Families for its range of flexible support service for families, as well as its ability to influence and shape alcohol and drug policy. This includes the innovative ‘click-and-deliver’ service, which provides potentially life-saving naloxone free of charge to any adult in Scotland who may come across an opioid-related overdose.
Naloxone reverses opioid overdose, providing vital time to call an ambulance. Training, information and helpline support is provided with the kits.
The judging panel were also impressed by Scottish Families’ work to reach those most in need. Its ‘Holding On’ service offers support where there are concerns about the risk of drug-related death and the charity is a member of the LGBTQI Substance Use Partnership.
Scottish Families also launched a ‘Family Support Is For Men Too’ initiative and runs the Routes programme for young people aged 12–26 years old affected by someone else’s alcohol and drug use.
Katie Pinnock, Director of UK Charitable Partnerships at GSK, said: “The devastating impact of alcohol or drug use on someone’s family and loved ones is often overlooked.
“Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs works to improve the visibility of families and give a voice to their experiences. It is a small charity which works effectively to build strong partnerships at local and national levels to influence strategic system change.
“We were particularly impressed by Scottish Families’ engagement at government level, while its ‘click-and-deliver’ service to make the life-saving drug naloxone more easily available during the pandemic stood out as a major innovation.”
The 2022 GSK IMPACT Award recognises Scottish Families’ significant impact on improving the wellbeing and mental health of families across Scotland affected by alcohol and drug use.
Developing leaders in the charity sector is a key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme and all winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King’s Fund.
Scottish Families will also be invited to join the GSK IMPACT Awards Network, a UK-wide network of more than 110 previous award winners who work together to develop leaders, find new ways of working and provide mutual support.
Commenting on the award, Justina Murray, Chief Executive of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, said: “We are overwhelmed and so delighted to have won this UK award for outstanding work in the field of health and wellbeing.
“Innovation, flexibility and assertive outreach are everyday ways of working in the third sector, so being recognised for this means a huge amount to us and to the families we support.
“We know that most families harmed by substance use remain hidden from sight and are unsupported. We have so much more to do to reach every family, and to make sure they are supported, recognised and included.
“The funding and development programme which are part of this award will help us to do this. Families affected by alcohol and drugs are always at the margins, they are overlooked and ignored, so achieving this recognition at UK level shows that families really do matter, and that change will come.”
For more information on Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, visit: www.sfad.org.uk
An Edinburgh man has been sentenced to more than nine years for drugs and organised crime offences.
Shaun McKinnon (35) was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today for his involvement in the supply of drugs and serious and organised crime. He is also subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for a period of 3 years.
He pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, 17 February, 2022, when he appeared alongside his co-accused Samantha McCafferty (35) who pled guilty at an earlier date. McCafferty received 200 hours community service.
Detective Inspector Robert Campbell said: “I would personally like to acknowledge and praise the bravery of the victims who refused to let fear and intimidation stop them from speaking out.
“The arrests of McKinnon and McCafferty were achieved through painstaking work and dogged determination by officers working on the investigation. Their efforts have ensured that McKinnon is no longer in a position where he can bring harm to the local people of South Edinburgh.”
If you have any information or concerns about drug misuse or wider criminality in your area, do not hesitate to contact Police Scotland via 101 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A 37-year-old man was arrested & charged with drugs offences on Monday (03/01/22) after officers on mobile patrol stopped and searched a vehicle on Ferry Road, recovering cannabis valued at £17,000.
The man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
Charity will increase support for drug users in recovery
Bluevale Community Club in Glasgow has been awarded almost £100,000 to enable them to continue with their recovery and wellbeing services, helping their work in the community and with people in recovery from problematic substance use.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will confirm the funding over the next two years during a visit to their recovery club which opened earlier this year.
The First Minister will also visit the community club’s sports facilities which offer a range of activities for young people and adults including boxing, personal training and strength endurance classes which focus on improving the mental and physical health of members.
She will be joined on the visit by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.
The First Minister said: “The work being done by Bluevale Community Club in their local area helping people to live healthier lifestyles through their activity classes and recovery drop-ins is fantastic. It is an excellent example of how sustained, meaningful activities and supportive social networks are key to building stronger communities.
“The funding of almost £100,000 will help them focus on expanding these services further and give employment to young people who have given their time free until now.
“The rights of individuals to access effective treatment and support underpins our national drugs strategy. But we know there is more to do to make these rights a reality which is why we launched the National Mission backed by an additional £250m over the next five years to improve and increase access to services for people affected by drug addiction – including an investment of £100m on residential rehabilitation.
“We are determined that every penny of that will make a difference to all those affected by this public health emergency.”
Bluevale Founder and Project Manager Kenny Trainer said: “We welcome the visit by the First Minister and Douglas Ross to see first-hand not only what we are trying to achieve here at Bluevale Community Club but also meet the people who remind us daily why we do it.
“We have run our club on a voluntary basis and welcome the investment from the Scottish Government that will allow us to employ two part time members of staff, allowing us to focus more on developing a whole community response to recovery. Prior to this funding we were unsure if we would last beyond Christmas. We will continue to look at further alternatives to meet the additional shortfall in meeting our charity’s mission and ambition.
“We now ask that all parties, and both governments, put their political differences aside and agree on how we can tackle Scotland’s problems not just at a national level, but locally – ensuring that any investment reaches the heart of our communities where it will make the biggest impact.
“We have seen too many friends and family members die while seeking access to the help they needed and that’s why we back any rights-based approach when it comes to drug treatment – one based on holding decision makers to account where necessary.”
