Moray MP Douglas Ross says 2023 must be the year when “decisive action” is taken to tackle Scotland’s drug deaths crisis.
His call comes after figures earlier this year showed Moray suffered the biggest year-on-year percentage increase in the number of people dying as a result of drugs.
In 2020, ten people in Moray lost their lives to drugs, but that rose to 17 in 2021, an increase of 70 per cent.
Douglas’s Right to Recovery Bill, written in conjunction with frontline experts, has now secured cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament.
It would guarantee a right to treatment for everyone who needs it and has been backed ‘in principle’ by SNP drugs minister Angela Constance.
However, Douglas says action is not being taken “anywhere near urgently enough” and pointed to a report from FAVOR last month, which accused politicians of forgetting about the drugs deaths crisis.
Douglas attended the launch of the report at the Bluevale Community Centre in Glasgow, a year on from when he visited the same venue alongside First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
He says that “there is no time to wait” if we are to properly tackle Scotland’s drug deaths crisis and stop families grieving the loss of loved ones due to the scourge of drugs in our communities.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “One death as a result of drugs is one too many and my thoughts are with all those grieving the loss of a loved one in Moray and across Scotland.
“In this area, we saw the highest year-on-year percentage increase in the number of deaths from drugs of any local authority in Scotland, which was deeply concerning.
“We continue to hear a lot of warm words from SNP ministers about tackling the drugs deaths crisis, which has become Scotland’s national shame on their watch.
“However, we continue to see a lack of action. Next year must be the year we see decisive action being taken and that can start with ministers fully backing my Right to Recovery Bill.
“That would guarantee a right to treatment for all those who need it and has been backed by expert groups like FAVOR.
“They are understandably angry that the government are continuing to dither on supporting those who need help the most. The joint visit by the First Minister and myself in Glasgow should have been a turning point, but more than a year on we have not seen enough urgency from the SNP Government to get a grip of this crisis.
“There is no time to wait if we are to stop families in Moray and elsewhere losing loved ones to drugs and I urge ministers to start the new year by backing my Right to Recovery Bill.”