ONE of the very first things a Scottish Citizens’ Assembly should do is set up a taskforce to revise drugs policy which is composed of the people and communities who have been affected by the drugs crisis and who have been victims of addiction and drug abuse.

These are amongst the most marginalised groups in our society and they have to be at the heart of shaping the policy around this, as they have the most understanding and will be most effective in ensuring that policies are fit for those who need them.

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Our drugs policy needs to be based upon compassion, rehabilitation and education, rather than demonisation, stigmatisation and criminalisation. Decriminalisation and regulation of drug use will make it harder for dealers to sell drugs cut with more dangerous substances and at varying strengths more likely to cause deaths.

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The introduction of consumption rooms could massively decrease mortality rates. Within 14 years of Portugal decriminalising drug use, HIV infection rates caused by using dirty needles went from 104 per million to four per million.

Another effect of decriminalisation would be to help create a cultural shift in how we view drug users. Rather than dismiss victims as “junkies”, a policy based on compassion and education will allow us as a society to better understand the environments in which drug abuse thrives, namely poverty, lack of alternative opportunities, poor mental health, and isolation.

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The latter two of these are particularly the case amongst men, where there sadly remains a stigma around reaching out for help and support when needed and showing vulnerability, as to do so is still not really considered to be a desirable masculine trait. 75% of the drug deaths reported yesterday were male – a similar percentage of suicides are also male. I don’t think this is coincidence: on my own mental health journey I have noticed a distinct gearing of wellbeing, mental health, and self-positivity topics towards women, leaving me inherently feeling like it’s not normal for me as a guy to feel the way I do.

There is a huge need for more male voices discussing mental health to encourage more men to speak up and get help – this is intrinsically linked to drug abuse as well. Education can also play a huge role in reducing the harm caused by drugs – the evidence here is clear in the great work done by The Loop and their drug-testing facilities in city centres and at music festivals. In their pioneering initiative at Secret Garden Party in 2016, drug-related hospital admissions were down 95% on the previous year because people knew exactly what was in their drugs and received information on what effects those drugs would have in them, and could then make an informed choice on whether or not to consume.

We’ve taken drugs since prehistoric times, and always will, so it makes most sense to arm ourselves with as much information and understanding as possible, and show compassion and understanding to victims and their families.

Fraser Wilson
via email

FOLLOWING an item on Channel 4 News in February 2018 I wrote to The National to vent my exasperation at the interviewing techniques employed by Jon Snow regarding drug deaths in Dundee.

On Tuesday I watched Channel 4 News again as Jon Snow, responding to the dreadful number of drug related deaths revealed in Scotland for 2018, interviewed Joe Fitzpatrick, Minister for Public Health in Holyrood, Tory MSP Annie Wells and a Portuguese drug minister. This time, in my opinion, Jon Snow carried out an excellent interview, pressing and probing the interviewees in an attempt to get some effective strategies to employ to help alleviate this desperate situation. When Annie Wells tried to play party politics with the drugs problem, Jon gently chided her and got her to agree that this was not a situation suited to party-political games.

The Portuguese drug minister gave a clear exposition of the methods employed in Portugal which dramatically reduced the number of drug deaths in his country. At the heart of their policy was the decriminalisation of drug use supported by drug consumption facilities and medical and social support. A civilised response to a national emergency.

Joe Fitzpatrick admitted we are facing a national emergency, as Portugal did 20 years ago. He would very much like to employ the same type of response here, but drugs policy is a matter reserved to Westminster. Joe made it clear he wishes to work with Westminster to get drugs policy devolved to Scotland. Westminster’s response is to tell us that they have no intention of changing policy. I wonder if their response would be the same if they had a similar number of drug deaths per head of population in England last year.

Jon Snow’s interview clearly demonstrated that the situation in Scotland demands a swift and effective response. Criminalising drug users is a barrier which should be removed immediately. The help and support required to engage drug users must be a priority for all who believe in an inclusive society.

Isobel Gibson
Newburgh