A new report from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) advises that decriminalising drug possession, along with other measures, should be considered to help reduce drug-related harm.
Today (2 March 2021), the RCPE has published Drug Deaths in Scotland: an increasingly medical problem.
The report says much more can be done to prevent drug-related deaths. It says bold policies, such as decriminalisation of drug possession, safe drug consumption facilities, and rolling out a heroin-assisted treatment programme in all major centres in Scotland should be considered to help reduce drug-related harms.
The college is calling for more joined-up care for people who use drugs, as well as support for those who have completed rehab or who have left hospital after being admitted for drug overdose.
The report makes five key recommendations to help reduce drug-related deaths in Scotland:
Decriminalisation: government must give evidence-based consideration to decriminalising drug use.
Constructive political debate: politicians must work constructively together and listen carefully to the views of front-line clinicians and researchers.
Cross-party consensus: cross-party and cross-discipline engagement to deliver real and measurable change.
Socio-economic factors: governments must work together to address the socio-economic factors associated with drug use, such as employment and income, social security, education, public health, support services and housing, as well as the physical and psychological factors.
Medical professionals: leaders of medical professions must support educational initiatives which maximise the involvement of all sectors of medicine in managing problems related to drug and alcohol dependency.
In December 2020, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) reported that the number of drug-related deaths recorded in Scotland was 1,264 in 2019, a rise of 6 per cent from 2018. The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland is now the highest since records began in 1996.
References
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Drug Deaths in Scotland: an increasingly medical problem. Policy report. Published 2 March 2021.
This article originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
