Sarwar wants to take action on ‘national scandal’ of drug deaths
Scottish Labour has pledged to take action on Scotland’s “national scandal” of drug deaths.
Party leader Anas Sarwar accused the SNP of “shameful inaction” after data from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed an estimated 7,300 people have died from suspected or confirmed drug deaths since a public health emergency was declared in 2019.
Mr Sarwar said: “The number of people dying from drugs in Scotland is nothing short of a national scandal.
“The SNP’s shameful inaction on this crisis has cost lives, with more than 7,000 people dying since the SNP declared an emergency and promised change.
“At the last election Nicola Sturgeon admitted she had taken her eye off the ball, but people have continued to die in their thousands since then.
“Behind the grim statistics are people who have had their lives needlessly cut short, families that have been torn apart by loss and communities that have been weakened.”
The party signalled its intention to invest in alcohol and substance misuse recovery services, and recoup profits for minimum unit pricing to fund services and set up alcohol care teams in key hospitals.
It also pledged to crack down on drug dealing, roll out drug checking services, to protect users against the rise of potent synthetics and expand the availability of community rehabilitation programmes.
However, the party said it would be reviewing the impact of the Thistle safe consumption pilot, including the consequences for the local area.
Mr Sarwar continued: “A Scottish Labour government will get the basics right so Scots struggling with drug addiction can not only survive but recover.
“We will deliver life-saving action to improve services and make sure people can get the support they need to recover – whether that is residential rehab, community care or better support in hospitals.
“We will crack down on the criminal gangs flooding our communities with drugs and we will deal with the rising threat of dangerous synthetic opioids.
“It’s time for change and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”
A spokesperson for the SNP said: “The SNP has recently introduced a new alcohol and drugs strategic plan, backed by more than £160 million in 2026-27, which reaffirms our support for the use of drugs and alcohol to be treated as a public health issue.
“The last five years have seen record investment in alcohol and drugs services, and significant progress has been made with the number of deaths at the lowest level since 2017.
“Recovery from addiction can look very different for everyone, and the SNP is committed to deploying a human rights approach.
“There are a range of interventions we back, including retaining our commitment to ensure that at least 1,000 people each year are publicly funded to go to residential rehabilitation.
“Anas Sarwar is good at making and breaking promises but he must come clean with voters about what he plans to cut to achieve what he sets out here, with analysis showing that Labour plan to slash £1 billion from Scotland’s NHS budget.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub