His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland carried out a review to assess how effectively Police Scotland helps minimise drug-related harm.

It found that while the force has made a valuable contribution to drug harm reduction – including equipping more than 12,500 officers with the overdose reversing drug naloxone – significant gaps remain.

The report recommends Police Scotland define its role and purpose in supporting the public health approach to drug harm reduction. It also urged the force to provide guidance to police officers on how to balance this with their crime enforcement responsibilities.

HM chief inspector of constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, said: “Scotland continues to face one of the most severe drug-related public health crises in the developed world. In 2024 alone, 1,017 drug use deaths were registered – the highest rate in Europe and a stark reminder of the scale of the challenge.

“Police Scotland has demonstrated a willingness to adapt and contribute meaningfully to the national effort to reduce drug-related harm. However, to improve its response, Police Scotland should take decisive steps to strengthen its strategic and operational approach.

“This includes making clear its policy on drug harm reduction – defining the policing purpose within a public health approach and providing frontline officers with practical guidance on how to balance enforcement with harm reduction.”

The HMICS report praised Police Scotland for its work with the Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADP) and the development of local initiatives supporting prevention, intervention and recovery.

It said that since the rollout of naloxone to Police Scotland officers more than 900 administrations had been recorded to date – which showed the initiative had saved lives. The report added that specialist policing units provided critical intelligence on emerging threats, supporting public health surveillance and disrupting high-harm supply chains.

This work complemented the efforts of local policing teams and contributed to a more co-ordinated and intelligence-led response to synthetic opioids, polydrug use and organised criminal activity.

The report also detailed that Police Scotland worked closely with partner organisations in local police divisions to examine and swiftly share information relevant to drug-related harm, drug deaths and near-fatal overdoses.

However, the inspectors also found a ‘lack of clarity’ on how Police Scotland intended to strike a balance between a public health approach to reducing drug related harm and traditional criminal justice methods.

Mr Naylor added: “We recognise that while Police Scotland is a key partner in drug harm reduction, it does not have lead responsibility for national strategy, funding and resources, nor the wide range of intervention and support services delivered by partner organisations to address this issue.

“Scotland must continue to focus on a whole-system approach to drug harm reduction. This should include sustained investment from Scottish Government, strategic leadership from statutory and third sector partners, and collaboration with key stakeholders.

“The scale of the challenge demands a unified and sustained response – one that is rooted in evidence of what works, shared accountability and an ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives.”