The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Drugs minister Angela Constance won’t rule out bold action
Scotland’s new drugs minister has vowed she will not “close the door” on bold action to tackle the country’s overdose crisis, after a top US expert called on officials to decriminalise with or without Westminster approval.
In an exclusive interview, Angela Constance admitted she will need to carry the can for any failures after being appointed to her new role in December in the aftermath of the resignation of Joe Fitzpatrick as public health minister.
Mr Fitzpatrick stepped down following the release of harrowing figures that showed Scotland’s drug deaths rate is now higher than all EU countries and approximately three-andhalf times that of the rest of the UK combined.
Ms Constance will meet Michael Collins, strategic policy director for the state’s attorney for Baltimore, next month and said she is “really keen to hear what he has got to say and listen to his experience”.
Mr Collins, originally from Glasgow and a former director at the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs, has called on Scotland to tackle the crisis by pushing towards decriminalisation and daring officials in London to try to block it.
“Obviously his experience is in the context of America, in terms of the relationship between state and federal government, which is not necessarily the same relationship between Scotland and Westminster,” Ms Constance said.
“But I am not going to close the door to any evidence-led suggestions, ideas or approaches. Why on earth would I do that?
“There are constraints on what the Scottish Government can do,” she added.
“The reality is, the Misuse of Drugs Act is reserved and I have not yet found a devolved bit of legislation that would in any way trump a reserved piece of legislation. But we’re not closing the door to potential solutions.”
Ms Constance was present as Nicola Sturgeon chaired her first meeting of the drug deaths taskforce this week, after pledging to be more personally involved in the crisis.
The first minister will make a statement to MSPS next week, which is likely to include specific details on actions and funding.
It is anticipated the plan could involve getting more people into rehabilitation and treatment, and measures such as the distribution of antioverdose naloxone kits.
Ms Constance said: “I took office on December 22, we will know for sure what the drug-related deaths for 2020 are in July.
“I can’t, and I say this with deep sadness and regret, change whatever happened in 2020.
“But I am determined with my head, heart and soul to change what happens in 2021 – and of course I’ll be accountable for what happens in 2021.”
Ms Constance said she would like to see more powers come to Holyrood and the Scottish Government is consulting on drugs reforms “with a view so that the public is consulted and have come to a view about how we would use those powers in the event of them coming our way”.
However, she said she intends to engage with the UK Government in the meantime and already has a meeting set up with ministers “to discuss all of these matters”.
MSPS took part in a virtual members debate on Thursday when Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon called for £20 million of additional funding for the country’s drug and substance abuse treatment services.