News

Scotland’s new drug and alcohol strategy launched

Today (Wednesday 28 November 2018) the Scottish Government published Rights, Respect and Recovery Scotland’s strategy to improve health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said he had combined the strategy for drug and alcohol use because they had many solutions in common.

In response to the new strategy, Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said: “There’s no doubt that we face a huge task in turning around Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and drugs, which claimed the lives of 2,054 people in 2017.  The strategy’s focus on prevention and recovery, and the importance of listening to those with lived experience, is welcome. Everyone’s recovery journey is individual and the strategy highlights the need for services that are not only non-stigmatising and high quality but flexible to people’s needs.

“As a society we also need to recognise the underlying reasons why people turn to alcohol and other drugs. These include poverty and adverse childhood experiences, but environmental factors such the low price, widespread availability and aggressive marketing which we are exposed to on a daily basis also make people more vulnerable. We look forward to contributing to the development of the action plan for this strategy, which sits alongside the progressive alcohol prevention strategy published last week.”