Drug deaths: SNP must start to turn around Scotland’s other public health emergency – Miles Briggs MSP

I know how concerned families and teachers especially are at this latest destabilising break in our children’s education and the impact this is having on our young people.

It is now critical that we see SNP ministers bring forward the support measures and keep their promises to support teachers and families and get schools safely re-opened as soon as possible.

There is some welcome hope as we start the New Year. The UK government has started the rollout of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine nationally and, although there is no doubt that we have some very difficult and challenging weeks and months ahead to safely get through the pandemic, this can present the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

There is also increasing anticipation about the other public health crisis facing Scotland – drug deaths – and the statement to Holyrood which Nicola Sturgeon pledged to make in January, following the resignation of the public health minister, Joe Fitzpatrick, and the growing condemnation of 13 years of SNP ministers’ poor handling of the issue.

I, alongside other MSPs from all parties, have tried to work constructively with SNP ministers to improve the desperate situation we see in Scotland and to suggest positive new policies and new treatment options.

Two years ago, I put forward a new drugs policy paper, Life Plan, and since then, after speaking to people working on the frontline, there are two key interventions I believe could make a real difference and which I hope SNP ministers will urgently support.

The first is the need to develop wrap-around care for vulnerable and chaotic drug users. The most successful service I have seen first-hand is Safe as Houses, a community drug service in West Dunbartonshire which provides 24-hour supported living.

I strongly believe a commitment to develop and fund this sort of rehab/housing model could deliver the direct engagement and support that vulnerable drug addicts need along with the positive peer support work that can stop overdose deaths and get people into recovery.

The second, and perhaps the most important, is access to mental health services. As with all health concerns, early intervention is critical and mental well-being and support for people with addictions is no different.

Every conversation I have had with drug service users has pointed to the fact that for many it is incidents of childhood trauma and sexual abuse that is often at the heart of a pathway which can lead to a lifetime of drug addiction and substance abuse.

We therefore need to see a radical new commitment to fund mental health support services focused on early intervention and peer support.

Given the demand currently facing NHS mental health services, I believe a third sector-led recovery taskforce to deliver a new approach to drug and alcohol addiction mental health services is what is needed.

I have always believed that we can turn around the drug deaths crisis in Scotland and 2021 must be the year that work starts.

Miles Briggs is a Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian

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