The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Anger over MSPS’ snub of drug deaths debate
Aleading figure in Dundee’s battle against drug deaths spoke of his “despair” at the “lack of action” as a debate on the crisis was delayed at Holyrood while MSPS found time to discuss independence.
Dr Robert Peat, chairman of the Dundee Drugs Commission, revealed his “frustration” four years on from the publication of the landmark report.
At an event in Holyrood yesterday, Dr Peat said the situation in Dundee “is just not good enough”.
He called on city leaders to accept outside support to turn the tide.
The summit was to allow those with lived experience of caring for people with addiction issues to meet commission members, MPS, charities and academics.
A report on reducing harm associated with drug use was submitted to Dundee City Council’s policy and resources committee on Monday.
But families will need to wait until later this summer for bosses to set out their battle plan in full – months after an update to the drugs commission report was published in March.
“I despair. I actually despair of the timescale,” Dr Peat said.
“What needs to be done to just get on with this?”
The departure of Simon Little as independent chairman of the Dundee Alcohol and Drugs Partnership earlier this month was described by a local MSP as evidence “little to no progress” has been made.
Dr Peat said: “My frustration is that we have had the highest incidence of drug deaths for many, many years in Dundee.
“Putting Covid aside, it has been the number one public health issue for Scotland.
“We’re now more than four years on. How long do we have to wait?
“Some of the things we identified that need to be changed, we said it as our work was being done. We didn’t wait for the report to be produced.”
MSPS heard the moving testimony of Dundee grandmother Pat Tyrie.
Ms Tyrie became a member of the drugs commission after taking full-time care of her grandson when a family member “descended into a life of misery and despair”.
She described the “living hell” of not knowing whether a loved one is still alive while they are abusing drugs.
Yesterday’s event was supposed to be followed by a debate on the Dundee Drugs Commission at the Scottish Parliament but it was postponed until tomorrow as MSPS argued over Nicola Sturgeon’s latest push for an independence referendum.
North East MSP Michael Marra, who arranged the summit and was set to lead the debate, said the postponement “is as clear a signal as is possible that nothing has changed”.
“The first minister has admitted that she took her eye off the ball on Scotland’s drug deaths epidemic – that other matters had her attention over the last decade,” he said.
“It could not be clearer how out of touch the SNP are with Scotland’s needs.”
Dundee City West MSP Joe Fitzpatrick was criticised for failing to attend the summit and then arriving a short time later to ask a question on independence.
Mr Fitzpatrick, who lost his job as the SNP’S public health minister over rocketing drug deaths, met with charities earlier in the day but was not present for the roundtable.
North East MSP Tess White said: “Today’s roundtable was a critical opportunity to consider solutions to Scotland’s drug deaths crisis.
“So it was bitterly disappointing that Joe Fitzpatrick, who was the minister responsible until last year, refused the invitation.
“He was apparently preparing to ask a question about independence instead. This snub only hammers home what Joe’s priorities are, and those of his government.”