Holyrood has to share the blame

THE Holyrood administration must shoulder part of the blame for the drugs crisis in Scotland.

This is one area where they cannot talk their way out of what is tantamount to abject failure in whatever policies they had in the past.

The warning signs have been evident for a number of years now with annual drug-related figures showing an annual upward trend in fatalities.

There is an estimated 62,000 drug abusers in Scotland, each one of whom has a personal choice as to whether or not he/she engages. Sadly, too many take the wrong road – to self destruction. Therefore, much of the blame must be apportioned to the individual.

In other areas of government where a minister has failed in his role he is relieved of that post. To this end Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee West, and appointed as minister for public health, wellbeing and sport, must consider his position.

Of his three remits, I am of the opinion he has failed in two of them. What “wellbeing” I ask? Just look at the number of foodbanks, general poverty, and debt in Scotland. As for public health, this has been well documented almost on a daily basis.

I fully back the police in their fight against drugrelated crime, but why have prosecutions dropped when there is a crisis at large? There is no short answer to resolving the current epidemic of drug abuse but I do believe Westminster needs to be more involved and not treat the issue as “it’s your problem Scotland, so just get on with it”.