The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Jailing addicts is not winning war on drugs’
Councillor advocates ‘some decriminalisation’ to tackle ‘public health issue’
Small-time drug dealers and addicts should be treated as victims and kept out of jail, a Dundee councillor has said.
Craig Duncan, Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor for Broughty Ferry, said people who are selling drugs to fund their own habits should be treated leniently so resources can be directed towards catching drug barons at the top of the chain.
His comments came in the aftermath of the Dundee Drugs Commission’s report into services in the city.
There were 66 drug-related deaths in Dundee in 2018.
The commission, which took evidence from people working in the field over the course of the year, found drug treatment centres were operating at over-capacity with little work being done around prevention.
Mr Duncan said: “I don’t think there is an easy fix and politicians, police bosses and drug services have to sit down together to have a grown-up discussion.
“People who shoplift or sell drugs to fund their habit get arrested and then they come out to do the same again. They are victims of the drug trade.
“Chucking people in prison for the umpteenth time isn’t winning the war on drugs.”
He said he was not advocating for legalising drugs, but believed the authorities needed to consider some level of decriminalisation for lower level offences.
“Ultimately the drug barons at the top are at liberty, and that’s who we need to focus on, that’s where the resources need to go,” he said.
Dundee Labour leader Kevin Keenan, who was a member of the Drugs Commission, said there now appeared to be an acknowledgement that drug misuse is a “public health issue”.
He said: “There are many aspects of the service in Dundee that need to be addressed and the commission’s report highlights these.
“Drug misuse is indiscriminate and once it has a grip, it can have a devastating effect on the user’s life and also their families and loved ones. Therefore any measures that can be taken to make a difference should be taken.”
Tayside’s top police officer warned yesterday that it was becoming easier to obtain illegal drugs on the streets of the city.
Chief Superintendent Andy Todd told a meeting of Dundee City Council’s community safety and public protection committee the force would continue to “aggressively pursue” those who profit from the supply and sale of illegal drugs.
According to Police Scotland figures, there were 221 recorded crimes of drug possession in Dundee in 2018/19.
Just five months into the 2019/20 financial year there have already been 337 recorded crimes of possession – an increase of 52%.
The number has also more than doubled in Perth and Kinross, from 78 last year to more than 178 so far in 2019/20.
Angus is, so far, bucking the trend as the number of crimes has fallen from 81 to 67.