Sturgeon wants drugs talks for post-election support
DEVOLUTION of drugs policy must be on the table should there be any postelection pacts that require the support of the SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon said that legal powers over drugs should be under the control of the Scottish Parliament but refused to commit to extra funding for treatment programmes.
Ms Sturgeon was speaking at an election campaign event, at a pharmacy in Rutherglen, on the day the Scottish Affairs Committee issued its report into problem drug use.
The report recommended decriminalisation for possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use and for power to allow safer drug consumption rooms.
Ms Sturgeon said: “There are a number of things that would be important to the SNP and (drugs policy) would certainly be one of those things.
“This is an issue – unlike some of the other issues that we believe is important – (that) is something that we can have as a non-party political issue.
“I think there is a realisation that this is a public health emergency we face, the Scottish Government has powers and resources and it’s our responsibility to use those effectively.
“But, I think there’s a growing consensus that we could do more and be more effective if some of the powers currently held at Westminster were devolved here.
“That will be a key issue in any post-election discussion, whatever the parliamentary arithmetic might be.”
The Committee report also warned the Scottish Government must do all it can within its powers and said that cuts to drug and alcohol budgets had made the problem worse.
Ms Sturgeon said she wouldn’t commit to more funding until more details of the budget from Westminster to Scotland were clear.
She added: “I announced additional money for drug treatment services in the Programme for Government in September, which is important.
“I’m not going to get into details about a budget just now, because it would be inappropriate to do so.
“However, the drugs emergency and the health service will always be at the forefront of any budget considerations of the Scottish Government.”
Campaign groups have also warned that cuts to residential rehab bed spaces have made it harder for people to get off drugs and want more money for rehab and for a choice of treatment options to meet individual needs.