With You responds to the Scottish Government's recent drug law reform proposals

17 July

Every month, With You supports more than 12,000 people in Scotland who have issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health, as well as their families and friends. We offer a wide range of services - including recovery support and overdose prevention.

The Scottish Government’s new report, A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland, calls for the decriminalisation of all drugs for personal use.

Rosie McLuskie, Director for Scotland at With You, says: “We welcome the Scottish Government's recent drug law reform proposal calling for a caring, compassionate and human rights informed drugs policy, with public health and harm reduction as its underlying principles.

“Trying to arrest our way out of problematic drug use has been a failure, and people who develop problems with drugs need compassion and support, not punishment. We know many of the people we work with use drugs as a way of coping with emotional pain, often relating to early trauma. Criminalising them only adds to their feelings of shame and isolation and the stigma they experience.

“The public health crisis in Scotland is an incredibly complex and deep-rooted problem. Whilst there are no easy answers or quick solutions, we do know that with the right holistic support, people do recover. Freeing people from the fear of accessing treatment and support is a crucial first step - and decriminalising personal possession, alongside many of the other proposals outlined by the Scottish Government, would reduce stigma, increase access to services, and ultimately reduce drug-related harms and improve lives.

“However, alongside these proposals, we also need to move faster and commit long-term resources to improving those areas already within our control, reducing waiting times and improving the quality of treatment and support services.

“A united national effort to tackle this crisis is the only way we can really make a difference.”