Lib Dems seek "de facto decriminalisation" of possessing drugs for personal use
Activists at the party's Scottish conference backed a motion which also called for pub and club licences to be based on “venues' efforts to keep their customers safe
Liberal Democrats have called for the “de facto decriminalisation” of possessing drugs for personal use.
Activists at the party's Scottish conference backed a motion which also called for pub and club licences to be based on “venues' efforts to keep their customers safe rather than their efforts to assist the police in enforcing drugs laws”.
Debating the issue at the Perth conference, John Waddell - from the party's Aberdeen Central branch - said: “We support decriminalisation for a very good reason - criminalising people for their vulnerability achieves nothing.”
He added: “We are liberals at hearts. We support the autonomy of individuals over coercion. There is no autonomy where there is addiction.”
The motion called for established safe injecting rooms and drugs testing facilities “in all localities where there is a need”.
Speaking in favour of this, Ewan Hoyle, from Glasgow South, argued that the current “deterrent effect is not working” and the country had to move away from the “dumb enforcement of a dumb law”.
He asked: “What are the alternatives to enforcement?”
Mr Hoyle said injection rooms, providing drugs on the NHS and decriminalising drugs would protect communities from crime, protect the addicts and save lives.
“Our drug-related death rate in Scotland is far and away the worst in Europe,” he stated.
Arguing that most drug users had mental health problems, he added:
“We cannot claim to be the party of mental health if we leave drug users in the shadows.”
David Hannay, from Galloway - a retired GP, said providing heroin on the NHS would leave the authorities clear to pursue real criminals.
He pointed to the examples of Switzerland and Portugal, where he said more liberal drug laws had helped reduce the scale of the drugs problem.
“Both drug-related crime and deaths have gone down, whereas in Scotland they are rising,” he said.
“We need to change. The war on drugs is not working.”
Ben Lawrie, from Angus and Mearns, insisted: “This is not a motion that advocates the use of drugs. It is a motion that advocates compassion.
“It's time to stop punishing people whose only victims are themselves.”
After the motion was passed, Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “With a record 700 deaths now caused by drug use each year, it is essential that Scotland learn from the experience of other countries that have taken radical steps to reduce unnecessary and tragic drug-related deaths.
“Under the SNP, we have seen dramatic cuts to drug and alcohol services and existing drug law enforcement strategies are failing.
“Today's conference vote puts us firmly in the mainstream when it comes to medical and scientific evidence and best practice on tackling drug-related incidents.
“For many years, the Liberal Democrats have supported a policy of decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use and provision of heroin assisted treatment clinics as a way of reducing both harm to the individual and to society.
“This policy would prevent unnecessary deaths, alleviate the burden on our NHS and free up the justice system to tackle the people and organised crime groups producing and dealing drugs.
“It is time the Scottish Government got behind this approach.”