‘None of us should regard these preventable deaths as acceptable or as anything other than a national disgrace’
Latest figures which show Scotland has again recorded a worse drug-death rate than any other EU country area "national tragedy and disgrace", according to a charity.
National Records of Scotland published data yesterday which shows 1,264 people died in 2019 with causes linked to substances - a six per cent increase on 2018.
It is a higher death rate than any EU country and more than three times worse than the UK as a whole.
David Lid dell, chief executive officer of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said: "None of us should regard these preventable deaths as acceptable or as anything other than a national tragedy and disgrace. The need for change is obvious and that change is long overdue.
"Broadly, the challenge in terms of treatment is to ensure that people with a drug problem are treated with dignity and respect.
"In addition, we need to increase the range of services across Scotland to include drug consumption rooms, heroin-assisted treatment and assertive outreach. We need to end the alienation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of people with a drug problem-the root cause of this issue, which reflects badly on a culture and mindset that we have allowed to develop unchallenged over many years."
Opposition parties have echoed calls for the issue to be moved higher up the political agenda.
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said :" Scottish Liberal Democrats have been arguing that the existing law is not as black and white as the Scottish and UK governments would both have us believe.
"Their policies have failed, but they can each act now.
"It is time Scotland learned from the lessons of other countries that have taken radical steps to reduce unnecessary and tragic drug-related deaths."
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron added: "These statistics are both dreadful and heartbreaking in equal measure.
"Every one of these deaths is a tragic loss of life that could have been avoided."
Public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick argued the Scottish Government is doing" everything in its powers" to tackle rising drug deaths.