Problem drug use in Scotland
12 November 2019
Article: 53/4506
On 4 November 2019, the Scottish Affairs Committee published the report of their comprehensive inquiry into problematic drug use in Scotland. Health Protection Scotland (HPS), along with Information Services Division (ISD) and NHS Health Scotland provided written and oral evidence to the committee.
The committee has called for the UK Government to adopt a public health approach to drugs policy, and has recommended a review of the impact of welfare sanctions and support of radical, whole-system change to address the root causes of problem drug use. There is significant evidence that poverty and deprivation are the main structural drivers contributing to problematic drug use in Scotland, with drug-related harm a common symptom of wide levels of inequality.