Addiction expert calls for radical revision of substance misuse strategy

Addiction expert calls for radical revision of substance misuse strategy

People caught with small quantities of illegal drugs should not face prosecution according to a Scottish government adviser.

Dr Roy Robertson wants the impending substance misuse strategy to “support rather than penalise”.

His call was supported by chief inspector Allan Elderbrant, Police Scotland’s substance misuse lead.

Public health minister Aileen Campbell also agreed Scotland needs “innovative solutions” to tackle substance abuse.

Drugs policy, however, is a reserved matter and there are currently no plans to change the policy on enforcement.

Scotland has, proportionately speaking, the highest number of drug deaths in the EU.

Dr Robertson, a GP and professor of addiction medicine at Edinburgh University as well as a former member of the Home Office’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, predicted the number of drug deaths would rise again this year and next.

He told BBC Scotland: “I do think we are moving towards an area where politicians and policy makers are going to start talking seriously about a new structure to control drugs which allows for the fact that we really don’t want to just put people in jail for the possession of drugs that they have for their own personal use.”

Dr Robertson added: “I think the issue isn’t that we just throw out the Misuse of Drugs Act, because if we throw it out we’ve got nothing, we’ve got no regulations.

“So what we have to do is start from the point of view that we do want to make change and how we’re going to do it.

“We need to start building a new structure before we take away the old structure.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said the approach of the UK government was clear, “to prevent drug use in our communities”.

She said its drugs strategy provides a balanced approach that “brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around”.

Ms Campbell said: “One of the issues that has been of particular prominence has been the safe consumption rooms issue that’s been looked at in Glasgow.

“Unfortunately that’s something we don’t have the power or competency to take forward, which is why the Misuse of Drugs Act remains something that we need to engage with the UK government on, to enable us to take forward bold ideas, innovative solutions to meet the challenges that Scotland has.

“So, absolutely we’ll take on board Roy’s views, and we’ll continue to engage with the UK government.”

Share icon
Share this article: