DON’T PLAY GAMES.. LIVES ARE AT RISK
Expert calls on Scottish and UK Governments to take action instead of blaming each other
POLITICIANS from the Scottish and UK Governments have been warned of a “furious” backlash if they allow petty politics to wreck two summits on drugs in Glasgow this week.
Favor Scotland, which represents families affected by drug deaths, has blasted the jousting between Holyrood and Westminster ahead of talks that were meant to unite all parties.
The Tory Government announced a summit for Thursday in a move that took control of the agenda.
But the Scottish Government hit back by announcing its own conference and speakers for today at the SEC in Glasgow, prompting fears the two events will fan the flames of political differences rather than reach meaningful solutions to our drug deaths crisis.
Annemarie Ward, CEO of Favor UK, said: “The families of drug death victims expect to see tangible and serious action out of these summits.
“There will be a furious response if two sets of governments turn up to play political football.”
Favor has been at the forefront of demands for more residential rehab beds for Scotland, after they were all but phased out in recent years.
Ward added: “There is a direct link between the number of residential rehabilitation beds falling and the number of drug deaths rising. The Scottish Government are ignoring this because it suits them to blame Westminster.
“Meanwhile, the UK Government childishly refuse to work with the Scottish Government on basic things like organising the summit in the first place.
“This isn’t a game. People’s lives are at stake. We need to see action, not a talking shop that makes politicians feel better about themselves.”
Ahead of today’s event, SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who exposed the glaring need for a drug consumption room for Glasgow,
has urged the UK Government to open its ears to the massive appeals for radical responses to our drug deaths crisis.
The SNP have backed the Record’s demands for decriminalisation of drugs use, while the rigidly right-wing Tories are refusing to even consider a pilot for a safer drug consumption facility for Glasgow city centre.
Thewliss said: “I’m glad that stakeholders are at last coming together to give this issue the priority it deserves.”
The MP responded to criticism that the SNP has put too much focus on drug consumption facilities, which it can’t launch without Westminster’s say-so, by saying the party has created the Scottish Drugs Deaths Taskforce.
The taskforce move came as a direct response to the Record’s campaign for a better approach to our drug deaths rate – the worst in the world.
Thewliss added: “It saddens and frustrates me that the UK Government has not shown the same level of commitment.
“In July last year – in response to one of many letters that I’ve written to UK ministers on this topic since 2015 – the
Home Office advised they would ‘continue to promote a range of evidence-based approaches for all those who use drugs’.
“But they have deliberately chosen to overlook the comprehensive and far-reaching evidence base in support of safer drugs consumption facilities.
“With more than 100 SDCFs operating globally, there is both a medical and academic consensus that they are effective in reducing drug-related harm.
“I am convinced that this is worth trying – even if the Home Office only allow an SDCF on a pilot basis.”