Douglas Ross has today urged the Scottish Government to give their backing to his landmark bill to tackle Scotland’s drugs-death epidemic after earning the right to bring it before Parliament.
The Right to Recovery Bill – which the Scottish Conservative leader lodged last month – will be debated by MSPs after clearing its final hurdle by attracting the support of 33 members, including Labour’s Monica Lennon and Jackie Baillie.
The legislation would enshrine in law the right of everyone to receive the potentially life-saving treatment and support they need, including, where appropriate, residential rehabilitation.
Douglas Ross is now calling on SNP and Green MSPs to get behind Right to Recovery, which was drafted in consultation with experts in the field of drug and alcohol addiction, including the charity FAVOR Scotland. It was also supported by 77% of respondents during its consultation period.
He insisted it was essential to get the bill on the statute book in the next parliamentary session to begin the fightback against the “national tragedy” of Scotland having by far the worst drugs-death rate in Europe.
Drugs Minister Angela Constance has previously said that the Scottish Government would give the bill “a fair and sympathetic hearing” when it came before parliament.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “I’m delighted that our Right to Recovery Bill has earned the support it needs to be debated in parliament and I thank all the MSPs who backed it.
“I strongly believe this bill can be a game-changer in tackling the national tragedy of drug-related fatalities in Scotland.
“We can’t continue with the status quo when we have the worst drug-death rate in Europe.
“A common-sense solution is needed to a problem that shames Scotland – and that’s what Right to Recovery is.
“It has been drafted with the help of those with lived experience of addiction, and it will tackle one of the biggest obstacles to recovery those with drug or alcohol addictions face: the scarcity of treatment available.
“It’s vital now that MSPs from all parties rally behind it so that we can get it on the statute book to make a tangible difference to vulnerable people’s lives and tackle Scotland’s shame.
“The Drugs Minister has said the Scottish Government will give Right to Recovery a fair hearing. Now that it’s coming before parliament, I’d urge Nicola Sturgeon and her colleagues to get off the fence and back it, so that we can make a real difference.”
Notes
The Scottish Conservatives held a consultation period on the Right to Recovery Bill from October 2021 to January 2022. The proposed bill is titled ‘Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill’. (Scottish Parliament, Proposed Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, 7 October 2021, link).
After assessing the responses to the consultation, which were published last month, Douglas Ross lodged his final proposal in parliament on May 29. It then sat for one month to garner signatures from MSPs. As the proposal exceeded the required threshold – the support of at least 18 MSPs representing at least two parties – and the Scottish Government did not indicate an intention to legislate in the same area, he has now earned the right to bring forward the bill.
The principle which underlies the Bill is to ensure that people who are addicted to drugs (and/or alcohol) are able to access the necessary addiction treatment they require.
In order to achieve this, the proposed bill will enshrine the right to necessary addiction treatment in Scots Law. It would place an obligation on NHS health boards, Scottish Ministers and others, as appropriate, to provide treatment and set up reporting arrangements so that the quality and access of treatment provided can be monitored and reported to the Scottish Parliament. This will ensure that individuals may access a preferred treatment option unless it is deemed to be harmful by a medical professional.
The drug-death rate has almost tripled on the SNP’s watch and is at record highs. In 2020, there were 1,339 drug-related deaths registered in Scotland. This was 5% more than in 2019 and the largest number since records began in 1996. It is almost triple the 455 recorded in 2007 when the SNP came to power. (NRS, Drug Deaths in Scotland 2020, 30 July 2021, link).
Scotland’s drug-death rate is three-and-a-half times worse than the rest of the UK and the worst in Europe. In 2019, the Scottish drug death rate stood at 234 drug-related deaths per million, compared with 65 per million for the UK. When compared with the rest of Europe, Scotland also has the highest number of drug-deaths per capita, with the next largest death rate coming from Sweden and Norway. (NRS, Drug Deaths in Scotland 2020, 30 July 2021, link).
Drugs Minister Angela Constance said she would give Right to Recovery “a fair and sympathetic hearing” when asked about it in an interview on BBC Good Morning Scotland on May 30, 2022. She said: “In terms of the proposition put forward by Douglas Ross and his colleagues, I’ve always said it would be given a fair and sympathetic hearing.”