Should possession of drugs for personal use be decriminalised? Selkirk mum gives her view as latest death stats revealed
Last updated 22nd Aug 2023
A Selkirk mum who lost her only child to heroin says she fears decriminalising possession of drugs for personal use will only encourage more people to experiment with illicit substances.
Norma Combe's daughter Louise was just 30 when she died suddenly in December 2010.
She's responding to proposals from the Scottish Drugs Forum to address what it describes as Scotland's public health emergency.
But the charity's CEO, Kirsten Horsburgh, says urgent action's needed to prevent more needless deaths.
It comes as new figures, released this morning (Tuesday), revealed 13 drug deaths were recorded in the Scottish Borders last year - down from 17 in 2021.
Norma told Greatest Hits Radio: "I don't agree with the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use because I think it will just make things worse - (users) will say: 'It's legal, what can you do?'
"And my worry is it will encourage more folk to take drugs, and the impact will be huge."
Methadone was a factor in seven of the deaths in the Borders in 2022.
Norma, who revealed she still struggles to cope with her daughter's death almost 13 years on, hopes speaking about her family's experience will make others think twice about experimenting with drugs.
"We very seldom talk about her (Louise)," she admitted, "because it hurts too much. We still think she should be here. I miss her all the time.
"Before the addiction she was beautiful. She had a lovely smile, which disappeared because her teeth went all rotten and started falling out; so she hid her smile, and it disappeared. She just disappeared."
But she added: "In 13 years, I don't think anything's improved, in fact I think it's got worse. The wee dealers are still dealing in the streets. They're dealing up the cemetery, and along the town in Selkirk. If you know where they are, you can see it."
Across Scotland, 1,051 people lost their lives to drugs last year - the lowest since 2017.
And, although welcoming the slight decrease, the Scottish Drugs Forum describes Scotland's response to the on-going public health emergency as "inadequate".
READ MORE: Man jailed for attempted murder on A7 near Selkirk
The charity's CEO Kirsten Horsburgh said: "Decriminalisation is one of a range of measures that should be introduced at a pace.
"The purpose of a decriminalisation model is really to reduce stigma, to encourage people to seek help; to stop ruining lives, stop sending people to prison; and it shifts the focus from punishment to public health, and really encourages harm reduction approaches.
"And that means resources can then be redirected to prevention, education and treatment, rather then enforcement of punitive drug laws."
READ MORE: Three people rescued off Spittal beach after dinghy 'blown out to sea'
The Scottish Government says it's spending £250 million trying to bring down drug deaths.
Scotland's drugs and alcohol policy minister Elena Whitham MSP said: "My sympathy goes out to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.
"While I am pleased to see that hundreds of families have been spared this agony and lives have been saved, every life lost is a tragedy and the number of deaths is still too high."
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