Kirsten is the CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum, the national charity dedicated to improving Scotland's response to drug-related issues.

Scotland has the highest drug-related death rate in Europe. The population of Scotland is around 5.4 million with up to 60,000 people estimated to be experiencing problematic drug use and in 2023, 1,172 people lost their lives to accidental and preventable overdoses; a toll that is utterly horrific when, to put into perspective, since this monitoring began in 1996 (when 244 people sadly lost their lives) a shocking total of 17,678 people now feature in those harsh statistics.

In 2021, the Scottish Government declared a “national mission” to tackle the crisis, described as a Public Health Emergency. This included a series of measures and increased funding:

Investment: An allocation of over £250 million over five years, with a focus on improving treatment services, reducing harm, and increasing support for recovery communities.
Treatment and Support: Efforts were focused on expanding access to residential rehab, increasing the provision of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), and ensuring that people who use drugs have same-day access to treatment.
Public Health Approach: Shifting toward treating drug problems as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice issue. This approach includes greater emphasis on harm reduction services.

In terms of drugs policy, the direction being taken in Scotland is actually one that is envied by people pushing for change in other countries. A caring, compassionate and human rights informed drug policy for Scotland was a very welcome approach, outlining what a progressive, evidence-based drugs policy would look like with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles. But policy intention without action is futile.

This presentation will explore what is actually happening and what more needs to be done if we are to truly treat this issue as a public health emergency.