Cole-Hamilton secures parliamentary statement on drugs deaths

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today secured a commitment from SNP ministers to deliver a parliamentary statement on spiralling drug deaths.

Mr Cole-Hamilton wrote to the Health Secretary after new figures showed that there were 1,172 drug deaths in Scotland in 2023. This is an annual increase of 12% and more than double the number of deaths in 2013.

Mr Cole-Hamilton is now calling on the Scottish Government to take additional steps to tackle the emergency.

Speaking after confirmation from ministers that a statement will take place, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

"The rise in drug deaths is devastating and deserves proper parliamentary scrutiny.

"Over the last decade, drug deaths in Scotland have more than doubled. Every year ministers make clear how sad they are but the year rolls around and little has changed.

"I want to interrogate why earlier this year the Scottish Government saw fit to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy – a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services. Iam concerned that lifeline drugs services could suffer further cuts that impact on their ability to provide critical support to those who need it.

"My party wants to see a commitment to rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities – centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and present new pathways for treatment and recovery. It will also be important to strengthen the frontline the response to synthetic opioids - including nitazenes 50 times stronger than heroin – through enhanced information, detection and treatment."