Prevention of Drug Deaths

Lillian Jones Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison, and I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this important debate. I associate myself with the comments regarding Christina McKelvie MSP.

I stand here today to address a crisis that has devastated lives, families and communities across Scotland. It is a crisis that demands our attention, our compassion and, most importantly, accountability. I am speaking about the tragic rise of drug deaths in Scotland—a problem that for far too long has been exacerbated by failures in leadership and policy, particularly under the SNP Scottish Government.

At a constituency visit to the Patchwork Recovery Community in Kilmarnock a few weeks ago, I was starkly reminded of the enormity of the crisis during conversations with people who shared their thoughts about and experiences of the deaths of family members and friends due to drugs. They expressed the deep suffering and loss of those individuals.

The Scottish Government must start to deliver a genuinely joined-up approach to tackling the drug-deaths crisis, and ensure that every single person struggling with drug issues can get the care, support and treatment they need. For too long, the SNP Government have failed to address the crisis in a meaningful way. Despite Scotland’s long-standing recognition of its drug-death problem, the Scottish Government’s approach has been too slow, too reactive and too piecemeal. While other countries have taken bold action to tackle opioid crises and improve access to treatment, Scotland’s response has been inconsistent and insufficient. This stems from drastic cuts to public services over the last decade.

Glasgow is at the centre of the drugs epidemic, with the highest rate of drug-misuse death in Scotland in the 2019-23 period. The Thistle facility in Glasgow is the UK’s first official consumption room for illegal drugs. It is being appropriately scrutinised by the Scottish Affairs Committee as to its effectiveness in protecting Glaswegians who are impacted by drug abuse.

The SNP’s approach to harm reduction is inconsistent. There remain gaps in the availability of crucial services such as detox, rehabilitation and mental health support. It is no secret that drug addiction is often tied to underlying mental health challenges, yet too many people struggling with both have nowhere to turn for help. The lack of funding for rehab services and the slow pace of reform shows a Government who are not focused on the drug crisis or on prioritising the lives of their citizens.

Scotland’s drug-deaths crisis is not just about the statistics: it is about people. It is about mothers, fathers, sons and daughters whose lives have been cut short because the response from those in power was inadequate. After 1,171 deaths, how many more lives need to be lost before real change happens? How many more families must be shattered before the Scottish Government take full responsibility for the tragedy?

The SNP has had years to make meaningful change, yet we continue to see preventable deaths and suffering. We can no longer afford to ignore the crisis. We need urgent action from the Scottish Government. It is time for a comprehensive, compassionate and co-ordinated approach to tackling drug deaths that prioritises the health and wellbeing of those affected. We need better access to treatment, more rehabilitation services and a focus on addressing the root causes of addiction.

Scotland demands better from the SNP Government. The families who have lost loved ones, the communities that are hurting and the individuals who are still fighting addiction deserve better. They deserve a Government who are willing to act decisively without hesitation to save lives.