Decriminalise drugs says next Moderator
A MINISTER who believes drug possession should no longer be a criminal offence has been named by the Church of Scotland as its next Moderator.
The Rev Iain Greenshields, who says addiction should be treated as a public health issue, will take up the 12-month role in May.
The 67-year-old minister of St Margaret’s Community Church in Dunfermline, Fife, said locking up people who are often ‘self-medicating’ to cope with psychological challenges does not work.
Instead they should be treated in high-quality residential rehabilitation centres, benefiting addicts and society.
His views are based on his experiences in church outreach projects, as a prison chaplain and in psychiatric chaplaincy.
Mr Greenshields welcomed a recent announcement from Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, QC, that police will be advised to issue recorded warnings for possession of illegal substances instead of being prosecuted.
He said he has great sympathy for victims of crime who are targeted so people can buy drugs, but he added: ‘Prison is not the answer for the vast majority of people behind bars because of illegal drug issues.
‘We have to find another way to recover their lives. When you look into the background of those who take drugs, you realise it is largely about self-medicating to treat some kind of trauma. ‘What is needed is not criminalising them but ensuring they get the best rehabilitation support. This can only be for the betterment of society. ‘It will require extensive investment in services but if you can send someone to prison for a year, why can’t you send them to rehab for the same length of time as an alternative?’
A total of 1,339 people died of drug misuse in Scotland last year, a record number of deaths for the seventh year in a row.
Last month, the Scottish Government revealed there were 722 drug-related deaths between January and June.
Other statistics showed the reoffending rate of those given drug convictions within one year rose 11 per cent in 2018-19 compared with the previous year. Mr Greenshields spent eight years as a chaplain at the former Longriggend Young Offenders’ Institution in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, and nearby Shotts Prison.
He said his view is ‘a personal one and not the official position of the church’, adding: ‘Some people will throw their hands up in horror but... I am just being realistic and pragmatic.’
On his role, he said: ‘I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen as Moderator Designate.’