Scottish government aims to legalize drug possession

The Scottish government has demanded that all narcotics used for personal consumption be legalized. Ministers from Scotland are urging the UK government to amend reserved rules so that those caught with drugs can be "treated and supported rather than criminalized and excluded." The Scottish government's proposals also include legislative modifications that would permit the establishment of facilities for closely supervised drug consumption. Westminster is solely responsible for drug laws. The Scottish government is in charge of the health and social policies around drug use, nevertheless. Other proposals from the Scottish government include more substance checking services and increased access to emergency treatments for drug overdoses. Scotland's Drugs Policy Minister Elena Whitham, said: "We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society. "While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives." The call comes four years after the SNP backed decriminalising the possession and consumption of drugs at its party conference.

UK government opposition

The Home Office previously said it had no plans to decriminalise drug possession and is also opposed to drug consumption rooms. The number of people who died of drug misuse in Scotland dropped slightly last year from 1,339 to 1,330 after eight consecutive years of increases, but the country continues to have by far the highest drug death rate recorded by any country in Europe. The crisis prompted more than £250m of investment by the Scottish government into the country's addiction services. Efforts to establish drug consumption rooms in Scotland have been ongoing for years. Campaigners say the facilities - where people can inject drugs under supervision - are needed and are backed by the Scottish government. However, an attempt to set up consumption rooms in Glasgow was blocked by UK government, which argued a range of crimes would be committed in the course of running such facilities. In 2021, a decision by the Lord Advocate meant people caught with Class A drugs in Scotland could be given a police warning instead of facing prosecution. Critics at the time said the move, which does not extend to drug dealing, was "de facto decriminalisation".

'Madness'

The prime minister's official spokesman said Rishi Sunak's administration had "no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs". Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay added: "It is madness to try and solve Scotland's drug death crisis, the worst in Europe, by essentially legalising heroin, crack and other class-A drugs. "This would put more drugs on our streets. It would put more lives at risk. "