Scotland takes health approach to tackle alcohol harm

The Scottish government has outlined plans to combat drug and alcohol-related harm by addressing wider social issues, such as housing and employment.

The Scottish government plans to take a health approach to tackling alcohol-related harm

The strategy, titled Rights, Respect and Recovery, is the country’s first in 10 years and details how Scotland will take a health approach to substance misuse and “ensure services treat people as individuals”.

This will be supported by a £20-million-a-year (US$25.5m) investment on top of the government’s “considerable existing investment in drug and alcohol treatment and prevention”.

Plans include moving drug users out of the criminal justice system “where appropriate” and offering better treatment of mental health issues, alongside social problems.

Families of those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction will also receive better support under the new plans.

Joe FitzPatrick, public health minister, said: “Improving how we support people harmed by drugs and alcohol is one of the hardest and most complex problems we face.

“But I am clear that the ill-health and deaths caused by substance misuse are avoidable and we must do everything we can to prevent them.

“This means treating people and all their complex needs, not just the addiction, tackling the inequalities and traumas behind substance misuse, and intervening early to prevent people at risk.

“We want to see innovative, evidence-based approaches, regardless of whether these make people uncomfortable. This money mustn’t just produce more of the same.”

According to the report, the most recent prevalence study estimated that around 4% of the adult population in Scotland have “possible alcohol dependency”.

In 2017, the country recorded 1,120 alcohol-specific deaths, and 934 drug deaths.