Decriminalise drug use
»Party votes to tackle health crisis »Victory for Record campaign
THE Record’s campaign to tackle Scotland’s drugdeath emergency received a massive boost yesterday when the SNP voted to decriminalise possession and consumption.
Delegates at the party’s conference unanimously backed a plan to treat addiction as a health issue.
shocked by the human tragedy of drug deaths.
“Most of them died alone, behind closed doors, in despair and desperation,” he told the conference.
“They were people already on the margins of society, people who it was easy not to see, people who are easy to forget.
“Most of those people did not want to die. They did not need to die. These deaths were entirely preventable.”
Sheppard said there must still be significant investment to tackle the causes of addiction.
But in a direct plea to the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, he added: “A change of the law is necessary to keep these people alive long enough for those interventions to be made.
“At the moment, by the time you get to most of them, they are already dead or dying. That is why I believe the law should change.
“This is a small change, it does not require an Act of Parliament. It requires an enlightened Home Secretary to lift a pen and sign an order.
“I call upon the British Government to make the change.
“If they don’t want to do it, then give Scotland the ability to do it instead.”
The Record revealed last week that the SNP was preparing to change policy.
Pressure from our wider campaign has already helped towards the creation of a new drugs task force, led by the Scottish Government.
Health minister Joe FitzPatrick attended a seminar hosted by the Record at Holyrood, listening to demands to put people with lived experience of drugs on to the panel.
The unanimous vote at the SNP conference also covered so-called safe consumption rooms, which allow users to take drugs in a controlled environment.
Centres are already established in countries such as France, Canada and Portugal.
The NHS and Glasgow City Council have previously called for safe consumption rooms in the city. The facilities would be supervised, with experts saying it will also help reduce the risk of infection.
The SNP’s approach to decriminalisation is now similar to the Lib Dems and Greens at Holyrood, showing a clear majority in favour of changing the law in Scotland.
Scottish Lib Dem chiefs want to work with the sentencing council to change prosecution and sentencing guidelines.
People arrested for possession of drugs for personal use would be sent to an assessment panel instead, with the focus on health and rehab.
Labour will go into the next general election with a commitment to hold a Royal Commission to review drug legislation and policy.
Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said: “The Daily Record campaign is ensuring Scotland’s drug-deaths emergency isn’t ignored, resulting in it being at the top of the SNP conference agenda.
“This is welcome and ministers should quickly bring the matter to Parliament so that MSPs can vote on the actions we should be taking in Scotland now.
“Change is needed and Labour is committed to a Royal Commission to examine drug laws and policies.
“We’ll take the progressive action the Tories refuse to take while pushing for full use of existing powers in Scotland and proper funding for recovery services.”