Javid ‘must join Holyrood in?tackling Scots drug deaths’

The Home Office must work with the Scottish Government to help tackle “tragic” drug deaths, Scotland’s public health minister has said.
Joe FitzPatrick has called for dialogue on Scotland's drug crisis. Picture: Michael GillenJoe FitzPatrick has called for dialogue on Scotland's drug crisis. Picture: Michael Gillen
Joe FitzPatrick has called for dialogue on Scotland's drug crisis. Picture: Michael Gillen

Joe FitzPatrick MSP has called for an urgent meeting about the rising number of drug-related deaths in Scotland, in a letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Deaths caused by drugs rose by more than a quarter last year to 1,187 – a higher rate than anywhere in Europe and the highest since current records began in 1996.

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In his letter to the Home Secretary, FitzPatrick described the “tragic” increase as “unacceptable” and added: “I take seriously the impact this has on individuals, families and communities.

“In response to these shocking statistics, I am inviting the UK government to work with the Scottish Government to tackle this problem which claims so many lives.”

Asking for a government minister to attend a proposed emergency summit – expected to be in Glasgow – about the problem, he added: “The Scottish Government has already agreed we will host such a summit, where government representatives, local authorities and the chair of Scotland’s new drug deaths taskforce would be invited, ensuring the voices of those with experience of using drugs, and their families, are also heard.

“I understand that there is cross-party support for this conversation, including from Miles Briggs MSP, who has written to offer his support.”

Briggs, the Scottish Conservative health spokesman, described the situation as a “national emergency” and called for “serious and detailed conversation” about how to tackle the crisis.

He said: “This crisis spans political divides, so we would hope both Scottish and UK governments are involved.”

However, the responses of the SNP and Scottish Conservatives to the release of the drug death statistics on Tuesday were lambasted by former prime minister Gordon Brown, who argued that it demonstrated how the “extremes” of the two parties were failing Scotland.

Brown said: “Nothing illustrates the sterility of this head-to-head confrontation than when in the wake of news of Scotland having the worst and most deadly drugs problem in Europe, SNP and Conservatives simply blamed each other.”