The SNP are stalling and failing to take the drastic action necessary to tackle Scotland’s drug deaths crisis, the Scottish Conservatives have said.
Friday’s drug death statistics are expected to show Scotland remains the ‘drug death capital of Europe’ and drug deaths under the SNP will pass the “grim milestone” of 10,000 lost lives.
Scottish Conservative health spokeswoman Annie Wells called for the SNP to get on board with the party’s Right to Recovery Bill proposal to finally guarantee that everyone who needs drug treatment can get it.
FAVOR Scotland announced today that seven frontline drug recovery groups are now backing the bill.
The charity’s CEO Annemarie Ward added that “SNP MSPs have privately told us they will back the bill and several prominent Labour MSPs have publicly voiced support for it.”
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Annie Wells MSP, said: “Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is one of our most stark challenges. Communities like mine are being devastated year after year, with very few signs that the situation on the ground is improving.
“Nicola Sturgeon has admitted she ‘took her eye off the ball’ and drug deaths spiralled. But the SNP Government are still failing to take the drastic action necessary to sort this crisis.
“Our Right to Recovery Bill has been developed with frontline experts and we are encouraged that it is gaining such widespread support.
“We now need the SNP Government to stop stalling and support this bill. Every delay costs lives.
“We have waited years for change but the extra funding we demanded and the new standards in force are not cutting it. The only way to guarantee everyone gets the treatment they need is to make it enforceable in law.”
Notes
The Right to Recovery Bill proposal is here: https://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Right-to-Recovery.pdf