Scotland ‘too timid’ over drug crisis, says Robison

‘We have not managed to get to grips’ with issue’ says Dundee MSP

Former health secretary Shona Robison has admitted the Scottish Government has been too timid in tackling the country’s drugs deaths crisis.

Speaking in a Scottish Parliament debate on reducing the harm caused by drugs and alcohol, the Dundee City East SNP MSP said no government since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 has properly tackled the issue.

She said: “Over the 20 years of this parliament, we have not quite managed to get to grips with the drugs issue.

“To date we have perhaps been too timid – and I include myself in that.”

Ms Robison, who was health secretary between 2014 and 2018, said same-day prescribing had now been introduced in Dundee to reduce the number of drugrelated deaths in the city.

There were 66 drug-related fatalities in Dundee in 2018 and the 2019 total is expected to be even higher.

Ms Robsion added: “There is no simple solution to a complex problem. There is no single solution — whether that means more rehab beds to safe consumption rooms, both are needed.”

Dundee-based Labour MSP Jenny Marra said progress in Dundee has been too slow and same-day prescribing is still not available everywhere in the city.

She said: “In August last year the Dundee Drugs Commission published its report. It was a challenging report and it published 10 immediate recommendations.

“Now six months later very few of these immediate recommendations have been implemented. I think there is initial progress on one.

“We hear work has started but there have been few concrete steps.

“But this is urgent.

“Drugs workers in our city and across Scotland predict the tally of deaths will rise again this year.

“Why have these recommendations not yet become reality? I believe that from talking to drug workers and commissioners in the city that the institutions used to treat drug users are not flexible enough and are lacking the leadership required to drive these changes through.”

Ms Marra said nobody has been appointed to bring together drug and mental health services.

She asked: “How long can we wait to try new things, new ways of working? How long can the analysis go on when people believe there are already workable solutions?

“Before Christmas I heard about a young girl whose dad died just before Christmas because of drugs and she was taken into care.

“Unless we take radical action to stabilise the lives of men and women my age we will have more and more children left without parents across the city.”

Regarding same-day prescribing, she said: “I heard Shona Robison say it has been fully implemented. That is not my understanding. I understand a small group of people are part of a ‘test for change’.

“It already happens in Lothian. At best we have a huge and unnecessary delay to this life-saving policy in Dundee.

“We will see real change when people get treatment when they present, rather than the weeks or months the majority of people in Dundee have to wait.”

Public health minister Joe FitzPatrick, who led the debate, said the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is now out of date and addiction must be treated as a health issue.

“To date we have perhaps been too timid – and I include myself in that. SHONA ROBISON

Former health secretary and Dundee MSP Shona Robison was speaking in the Scottish Parliament.