Nicola Sturgeon has accepted that “there's way more to do” to deal with Scotland’s medication loss of life epidemic after the nation recorded a tiny discount within the quantity of people that have misplaced their lives.
New stats from the Nationwide Data of Scotland present that the 2021 determine is 1,330 - a fall of only one per cent since final yr.
The determine was nonetheless the second highest annual whole since data started.
The First Minister, commenting on-line, stated: “Each loss of life to medication is the lack of a person who was liked and valued. So whereas it's welcome that deaths in 2021 have been barely down on yr earlier than - and that yr on yr improve since 2013 has halted - we all know there's way more to do to handle this unacceptable disaster.”
READ MORE: Scottish medication deaths fall by only one per cent in a yr
Figures for 2020 confirmed that 1,339 folks died from substance misuse – the best quantity on report within the nation. The brand new figures present a fall of simply 9 deaths.
Regardless of the quantity falling marginally, it's the first yr since 2013 through which drug misuse deaths haven't elevated.
The Scottish Authorities is underneath rising strain to behave following publication of a report from the Drug Deaths Taskforce which referred to as for a cultural change and to finish the discrimination round dependancy.
It made 20 suggestions with 139 particular actions to be taken by the Scottish and UK Governments.
The suggestions embody shifting in direction of a care strategy relatively than a punitive one, and laws on secure drug consumption rooms.
Douglas Ross, the chief of the Scottish Conservatives, referred to as for the SNP Authorities to again his Proper to Restoration Invoice, which is about to go earlier than Holyrood later this yr.
The laws would enshrine in legislation the appropriate of these with dependancy issues to obtain doubtlessly life-saving remedy.
Describing the newest drug loss of life figures “heart-breaking”, Ross stated: “These figures are a badge of disgrace for Nicola Sturgeon, who has presided over an enormous escalation in Scotland’s drug-deaths epidemic throughout her time in workplace.”
“Scotland’s drug-deaths fee just isn't merely worse than that of some other European nation. It’s so off-the-scale unhealthy, so uniquely terrible, that the SNP Authorities have to just accept their present strategy isn’t working.”
“Our Invoice addresses one of many largest obstacles these with dependancy points face in turning their lives round – specifically accessing remedy programmes, together with residential rehab.”
Scottish Labour Drug Coverage spokesperson Claire Baker stated: “These totally shameful figures present we're making nowhere close to sufficient progress."
“Yr after yr we hear the identical apologies and guarantees, however platitudes don’t save lives. We can't name one thing a public well being emergency if we don’t reply with emergency motion.
“The SNP want to begin appearing with the urgency we now have wanted all alongside, and use each single energy at their disposal to get folks the assistance they want.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat chief Alex Cole-Hamilton demanded the Scottish Authorities name within the experience of the World Well being Organisation to deal with the difficulty.
He highlighted how statistics will go away Scotland’s drug-related deaths at three and a half occasions the speed of wherever else in Europe.
He stated: “By the First Minister’s personal admission, her authorities took its eye off the ball. It can without end be a scar on the conscience of this Scottish Authorities and a legacy of its fixation on breaking apart the UK over every thing else.”
“It’s time for brand spanking new measures to cease folks dying. We urgently want specialist drug and alcohol commissions much like what occurs in Portugal, to finish the damaging use of imprisonment for folks misusing medication, and to make secure consumption areas obtainable throughout the nation."
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