UK must join the fight to save lives

THE Daily Record last week called on politicians to start a mature discussion on Scotland’s drug emergency as we launched our campaign to decriminalise drug use.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick yesterday stepped up to the plate and did exactly that.

He told MPs the Scottish Government is fighting the crisis with “one arm tied behind our back”, as he made a public plea for the Home Office to re-assess its approach to illegal drugs.

FitzPatrick wants safe consumption rooms in Scotland as one proven way to save lives. He is also sympathetic to the idea of decriminalisation.

He did not come to those conclusions lightly but after close consideration of the evidence of successful schemes across the world.

But he cannot introduce such measures without the support of Westminster MPs, who have control over the relevant legislation.

The temptation for any Nationalist minister would be to turn this into a constitutional point and use the issue to demand more powers for Holyrood.

FitzPatrick, to his credit, refused to do this.

Instead, he urged the UK Government to work with the Holyrood administration to find a way forward.

And FitzPatrick made clear he would be satisfied if that meant Westminster introducing the necessary changes to the law.

About 1000 Scots are expected to die from drug addiction this year. It is the worst drugs crisis in Europe.

This is no time for political pointscoring.

FitzPatrick has recognised that and made clear his only interest is finding solutions that can save lives.

Let’s hope his counterparts in Westminster are listening.