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Addaction welcomes increased funding for innovative drug treatment approaches in Scotland

4 September 2019

On 3 September 2019 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced an additional £20million of funding to help tackle the public health emergency of drug deaths in Scotland. 

Roseanne McLuskie, Associate Director of Addaction in Scotland, said:

“We welcome the focus and additional funding for innovative approaches to improve drug treatment services. The level of drug related deaths in Scotland is a preventable tragedy that can’t be allowed to continue. Our response needs to be brave and bold. 

“But this funding can’t be seen as an end in itself. We also need to properly fund the bread and butter of drug treatment like 1-1 support and prescribed medicines. And we must move away from the criminality attached to drug use in favour of a health based approach. This is a good first step but there’s still a long journey ahead of us.”