SNP ARE TOO SOFT ON DRUGS, SAYS UK MINISTER
Devastating attack by Westminster on Holyrood’s failure to tackle drugs crisis
A UK Government Minister has condemned the SNP for its failure to tackle Scotland’s dire record on drug deaths.
Minister for Policing Kit Malthouse hit out at the Scottish Government’s ‘soft touch’ drugs policy.
And he said he has been left ‘frustrated’ and ‘mystified’ by its refusal to back Project Adder, a new crackdown on the dealers.
His hard-hitting attack comes on the eve of a National Drugs Summit in London this week where the future of drugs policy in the United Kingdom will be discussed.
Angela Constance, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Drugs Policy, will be present and Mr Malthouse implored her to adopt Project
Adder – a pioneering initiative which has been hugely successful in England and Wales in tackling the scourge of addiction.
Project Adder takes a twin-track approach, helping addicts to overcome addiction and access support – but, crucially, also taking a hardline stance in ruthlessly targeting drug gangs.
However, the Scottish Government has refused to take part, claiming that ‘crackdowns are ineffective’.
In an exclusive interview with The Scottish Mail on Sunday, Mr Malthouse voiced concerns that the SNP ‘seem unwilling to accept that police have a part to play’.
Highlighting the ‘tragic and eyewatering’ toll of drug deaths in Scotland, the Minister urged the Scottish Government to listen to the evidence.
He said: ‘I really don’t understand why they won’t just give it a try.
‘The key ingredients which they need to put together are there. That is why it is so frustrating that they won’t even contemplate Adder, having seen its success.’
Mr Malthouse added: ‘I don’t know what the resistance is.
‘We have a duty to all of our citizens to learn from good ideas, wherever they come from.
‘The numbers have been getting worse and worse in Scotland over the last ten years or so. There are lots of factors behind that but what we all need to do now is focus on getting the solutions right and drive those numbers down.’
Last year there were 1,295 drug deaths in Scotland, more than three times the individual totals in Spain, France and Italy.
However, the Scottish Government has deliberately chosen to treat drug addiction as a public health problem rather than a criminal justice issue.
Controversial policies include handing drug addicts free heroin on the NHS and reducing the punishment for drug possession, meaning even people caught with Class A drugs can be let off with a police warning.
In contrast, the UK Government has set up Project Adder, which stands for Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery.
In common with the Scottish response, Adder tackles health and social issues associated with addiction by referring users to specialists who have overcome drugs themselves – so utilising the benefits and lessons of so-called ‘lived experience’.
As part of the recovery process, financial support including housing and employment services are provided. However, Project Adder also prioritises enforcement, with police striving to cut off the supply of drugs. Official figures from the Home Office show Adder has resulted in massive successes in Blackpool, Newcastle and Liverpool. Since it began in January last year, it has disrupted 700 organised crime groups and seized £3.9 million of drug money.
Mr Malthouse said: ‘We think we have a formula that works, that has shown really good signs in some of the hotspots in England.
‘I fervently hope that the SNP also see that success and translate it into Scotland.’
His words come ahead of the National Drugs Summit this week in London.
Having previously attempted to persuade Ms Constance to adopt Project Adder, Mr Malthouse said he would try again at the summit.
He added: ‘As the evidence for Adder builds and the great stories emerge, I hope that the argument will become irresistible.’
But the Scottish Government yesterday insisted enforcement was not the way to curb Scotland’s drug problem. A spokesman said: ‘Project Adder’s focus remains enforcement-led and there is much evidence which highlights the harm and ineffective nature of crackdowns.
‘To transform lives we are utilising serious and sustained investment, expanding residential rehabilitation services, embedding treatment service standards and increasing the number of people in treatment and recovery in every area in Scotland.’
‘I don’t understand why they won’t give it a try’