Question reference: S6W-04287
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 12 November 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 November 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on joining the UK Government’s Project ADDER.
Answer
The Scottish Government takes a different approach to the UK Government in implementing a public health approach to drug use. This is in line with recommendations of the Scottish Affairs Committee [1] , the Westminster Health and Social Care Committee [2] as well as a significant number of other experts and academics. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh [3] and the Drug Deaths Taskforce [4] have both released reports in Scotland this year alone calling for a strengthened public health approach to drug use.
In contrast, the priority of Project Adder remains enforcement led. A review of international evidence [5] shows that major policing crackdowns and enforcement operations tend to increase harms to people who use drugs. For example, research from a number of countries has shown that crackdowns are more likely to move drug dealing and usage geographically than to reduce them, increasing crime and discouraging people from carrying clean injecting equipment.
I do welcome those elements of Project ADDER that focus on diversion and recovery, but these are areas that Scotland is already prioritising through our National Mission, having allocated £250 million to improving and saving lives over the course of this Parliament. Work on diversion and recovery is well underway in Scotland and will align with the Project ADDER activity in England and Wales.
Where Adder can add value to the work already underway in Scotland is in the sharing of evidence, helping us to understand what activity can be effective in addressing drug related harms and deaths. To this end our Drug Deaths Taskforce have been engaging as active members of the Project ADDER Partnership Learning Network, sharing lessons learned between Scotland and the targeted ADDER areas.
[1] Scottish Affairs Committee: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201919/cmselect/cmscotaf/44/44.pdf
[2] Health and Social Care Committee: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201919/cmselect/cmhealth/143/143.pdf
[3] The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/files/drugs_deaths_in_scotland_report_final_0.pdf
[4] Drug Deaths Taskforce: https://drugdeathstaskforce.scot/media/1248/drug-law-reform-report-sept-6th-21.pdf
[5] Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/publications/international-approaches-drug-law-reform/documents/