Scottish Government wants ALL drugs decriminalised for personal use

The move would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded

Author: Chloe ShawPublished 7th Jul 2023
Last updated 7th Jul 2023

The Scottish government is proposing that all drugs are decriminalised for personal supply.

The move, outlined in a new paper on drug law reform, would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded.

The Scottish Government said decriminalisation would also mean that without a criminal record, people in recovery would have a better chance of employment.

The document outlines measures which could be implemented through further devolution, independence, or changes enacted immediately by the UK Government to support the work being done within existing powers to reduce drug deaths.

Other proposals include immediate legislative changes to allow the Scottish Government to fully and properly implement harm reduction measures such as supervised drug consumption facilities.It's one of a number of polices which the Scottish Government is calling on the UK Government to implement in a new paper on drug law reform.

Scotland's Drugs Policy minister Elena Whitham said: "These are ambitious and radical proposals, grounded in evidence, that will help save lives.

"We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society.

"While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives.

"We are working hard within the powers we have to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more we need to do, our approach is simply at odds with the Westminster legislation we must operate within."

'Wrong approach' say drugs campaigners

Annemarie Ward from addiction charity Faces and Voices of Recovery believes the Scottish Government is taking the wrong approach: “I think our government are now more interested in affirming people’s human right to use drugs than actually providing treatment to help people get well and rebuild their lives.

“If they spent as much time actually investing in and providing real treatment for people than what they do into spinning stories that are of no value or consequence whatsoever I think we would be in a much better place.”

Annemarie also believes the issue is being used as “a political football” between the Scottish and UK Governments: “The government are probably going to use this, as they have with other issues, to play grudge politics.

“A lot of people in Scotland believe that drug treatment is a reserved matter, it’s not, but it’s a very common belief of many people who buy into the grudge match political football.”

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