MINISTERS announced a major shift in Scotland's drugs policy yesterday from the "management" of addicts to a programme designed to make more of them drug-free.
Fergus Ewing, the community safety minister, said more money would be spent on rehabilitation and abstinence programmes in an attempt to end the cycle of drug dependency. About 22,000 addicts are prescribed methadone in Scotland, many of whom have b
een on the heroin substitute for years.
The new strategy represents a significant change in focus for the country's drugs policy and the first new departure in this field since 1999.
Until now, more resources have been spent containing and managing the problem than in trying to get addicts off drugs for good. Mr Ewing's announcement represents a move away from "parking" addicts on methadone to a more active, interventionist approach.
The minister said he wanted more done to tackle drugs in prison and he also announced a massive education programme aimed at parents, helping them to inform their children of the dangers of drugs.
A total of £94 million of government money will be spent tackling drug abuse over the next three years and health boards will get an extra 3.8 per cent for their drug budgets.
Mr Ewing told MSPs that the "guiding purpose" of all drug treatment services would be helping addicts into recovery. He added: "There has not been enough focus on achieving positive outcomes for people with drug problems. We must make this a priority for the future."
Mr Ewing pointed out Scotland has, per head of population, more drug addicts than most comparable European countries.
"That is not something we should accept as an inescapable fact of life," he said. "Our vision is that the idea of recovery must be central to our new strategy and the guiding purpose of all drug treatment services."
The Conservatives have been pushing for a change in strategy for some time and the party's Scottish leader, Annabel Goldie, applauded the Scottish Government for its decision.
"Too many addicts parked on methadone – not enough done to move them to recovery," she said.
David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said the government's shift in strategy recognised that medical help or jail terms on their own were not enough to help people overcome their drugs problems.
Dr Harry Burns, Scotland's chief medical officer, said recovery was "at the heart" of the new strategy.
Tom Wood, the retiring chairman of the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams, said: "The new strategy marks a very positive change in direction, towards recovery and away from the old war rhetoric and sterile debate."
He added: "We know that recovery from addiction is achievable, but only if treatment is delivered comprehensively."
IN NUMBERS52,000 – number of problem drug users in Scotland
1 in 3 – number of adults who have tried cannabis
421 – number of drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2006, the highest ever
£238 – average cost per week of heroin addiction
£2.6 billion – annual cost to the Scottish economy of the drug problem
22,000 – number of Scots receiving methadone
23 – percentage of 15-year-olds to have used drugs in past year
7 – percentage of 13-year-olds to have used drugs in past year
29,941 – number of drug seizures in Scotland last year
The full article contains 562 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
