Astonishing cost of Scotland’s drug addict free-for-all
5million free needles a year for 61,000 addicts ...On top of £18million methadone programme
SCOTLAND’S drug addicts were handed almost five million syringes free on the NHS last year, shocking new figures show.
High street pharmacies and drug services distributed 4.7million sterile needles over the past 12 months – a record number – to a rising number of drug addicts. It equates to almost 13,000 needles every day.
Around 61,000 Scots use ‘harm reduction’ services that give out free needles and injecting equipment to addicts.
This figure has soared in recent years and, despite spending almost £18million a year on heroin substitute methadone, NHS Scotland is paying at least £1.4million a year for free needles so addicts can get their fix more safely.
Last night critics warned needle exchange schemes simply ‘encourage’ users and branded them ‘madness’. The NHS Information Services Division report gives a snapshot of drug addiction from services, mostly pharmacies, that provide clean needles.
Under the initiative, drug addicts can drop in anonymously, receive free needles and return dirty needles safely.
In 2015-2016 nearly 328,000 ‘attendances’ were reported by outlets, from an estimated 61,500 ‘problem drug users’.
The figures are a rise from 4.4million needles handed out in the year 2007-2008, during 242,584 attendances at pharmacies and other outlets such as drug treatment centres by 55,328 addicts.
Most of those using the service are heroin addicts but 91 per cent of outlets reported one or more of addicts injected performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids and stimulants, an increase from 84 per cent in the previous year.
These are likely to include steroids and stimulants used by athletes and bodybuilders. More than a third, 35 per cent, of needle exchange schemes say one or more addicts using their services inject ‘new psychoactive substances’.
Such schemes are aimed at giving drug users clean equipment to cut the risk of catching infections such as HIV and hepatitis C from sharing needles.
This approach aims to reduce the risks associated with drug use but does not aim to get users to stop.
Dr Ian Oliver, former Grampian Police chief constable and now a world-renowned drugs expert, described giving addicts free needles as ‘madness’.
He said: ‘There’s no evidence these service users are not sharing needles, so you can’t say these schemes diminish the harm. It sends out the message users don’t need to try to get off drugs – just come and get a free needle. We should be diminishing the use of drugs, not encouraging it, which is madness.’
The annual cost of the scheme has not been published but is likely to run into millions. As well as £1.4million spent on needles, health boards will be paying pharmacists’ fees.
The ISD report states: ‘The purpose of injecting equipment provision (IEP) is harm reduction. IEP services have been found to be effective at reducing injecting risk behaviour in people who inject drugs.’
Amanda Rae, head of policy at Community Pharmacy Scotland, said: ‘The real focus of injecting equipment is on reducing harm and minimising exposure to blood-borne viruses, as well as reducing the risk to the public from discarded needles.’
Although the report shows the number of people using needle exchange services has risen, the Scottish Government insisted drug-taking is declining.
A spokesman said: ‘Drug-taking in the general population is falling and among young people remains low. Provision of clean injecting equipment is an important harm reduction strategy.’
‘Doesn’t diminish harm of drugs’