Scotland's Drug Deaths Record
Annemarie Ward is rightly angry about Scotland's appalling record on drug deaths which took off 'big time' when Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister - see charts below.
But instead of focusing policy on addicts coming off drugs and having the 'right to rehabilitation' MSPs are now being asked to stick with the failed status quo which has kept Scotland as the drug deaths capital of Europe for far too long.
Read Annemarie's statement below.
https://www.facesandvoicesofrecoveryuk.org/public-support-for-right-to-recovery-ignored/
Public Support for Right to Recovery Ignored.
By Annemarie Ward | Sep 22, 2025
Press Statement: Committee Chooses Institutions Over People
The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has recommended against the Right to Recovery Bill. This is despite the Scottish Parliament’s own consultation showing that almost 80 percent of respondents supported the Bill. That included 64 percent who were fully supportive and 14 percent partially supportive. Among individuals, the figure was 80 percent. Among third-sector organisations working closest with people affected, support was 73 percent.
Instead of reflecting this clear public mandate, the Committee stacked the deck. More than 90 percent of oral witnesses came from the small minority who were only partially supportive or opposed the Bill. Every single one of them was on the government payroll, either as quango chiefs or service delivery managers. The people the Bill was designed to empower, families and those with lived experience, were excluded & even Stephen Wishart who co authored the original bill was not asked to give evidence.
The Committee’s report is full of the same tired myths that have been used for years to block progress. They claim the Bill is about abstinence when in fact it covers the full continuum of treatment. They warn of endless litigation when judicial review is already a safeguard in housing and mental health. They say services cannot cope when addiction is already costing Scotland billions. They even waste time arguing about the word “addiction” as though changing terminology will save lives.
These are not new arguments. They are excuses. FAVOR UK published a myth-busting guide in 2021, sent it to every MSP, re-sent it since, and repeated it in countless media interviews. The facts have been on the table for years:
FAVOR UK Myth-Busting Document
A System That Chose Silence Over Truth
The Committee has chosen to lean on non-binding charters instead of enforceable rights. They have overstated risks while downplaying benefits such as reducing deaths, enabling early intervention and saving public money. They have privileged institutional voices while silencing families. They have distracted with language debates, misrepresented the Bill as abstinence-only, exaggerated cost and workforce issues, and used the fear of litigation as a smokescreen.
The truth is simple. Rights without enforcement are not rights at all. Every other area of health, housing and education has required workforce and investment to make rights real. Addiction should be no different. The Bill would not create new people who need help. It would simply ensure that those already seeking help are no longer turned away.
Scotland remains the drug death capital of Europe. Families are still burying their children while politicians argue over process. Faced with overwhelming public support, the Committee has chosen to protect institutions and failed systems instead of protecting people. The question every voter should now be asking is: who is this government really working for?
Scotland is still the drug death capital of Europe. Faced with a clear public mandate for change, the Committee has once again chosen to protect the status quo and the institutions that failed us, instead of the people it was elected to serve. Let’s hope the rest of Parliament does not follow their lead when it comes to the vote on taking this Bill to Stage 2.
Voting Breakdown (Committee Recommendation on General
Principles)
(to reject the Bill’s general principles): Against Jackie Dunbar (SNP), Emma Harper (SNP), Patrick Harvie (Green), Clare Haughey (SNP), David Torrance (SNP), Elena Whitham (SNP)
(to support the Bill’s general principles):
Brian Whittle (Conservative)
Sandesh Gulhane (was absent and did not cast a vote)
Abstentions:
Carol Mochan (Labour), Paul Sweeney (Labour)
A System That Chose Silence Over Truth
The Committee has chosen to lean on non-binding charters instead of enforceable rights. They have overstated risks while downplaying benefits such as reducing deaths, enabling early intervention and saving public money. They have privileged institutional voices while silencing families. They have distracted with language debates, misrepresented the Bill as abstinence-only, exaggerated cost and workforce issues, and used the fear of litigation as a smokescreen.
The truth is simple. Rights without enforcement are not rights at all. Every other area of health, housing and education has required workforce and investment to make rights real. Addiction should be no different. The Bill would not create new people who need help. It would simply ensure that those already seeking help are no longer turned away.
Scotland remains the drug death capital of Europe. Families are still burying their children while politicians argue over process. Faced with overwhelming public support, the Committee has chosen to protect institutions and failed systems instead of protecting people. The question every voter should now be asking is: who is this government really working for?
Scotland is still the drug death capital of Europe. Faced with a clear public mandate for change, the Committee has once again chosen to protect the status quo and the institutions that failed us, instead of the people it was elected to serve. Let’s hope the rest of Parliament does not follow their lead when it comes to the vote on taking this Bill to Stage 2.
Voting Breakdown (Committee Recommendation on General
Principles)
(to reject the Bill’s general principles): Against Jackie Dunbar (SNP), Emma Harper (SNP), Patrick Harvie (Green), Clare Haughey (SNP), David Torrance (SNP), Elena Whitham (SNP)
(to support the Bill’s general principles):
Brian Whittle (Conservative)
Sandesh Gulhane (was absent and did not cast a vote)
Abstentions:
Carol Mochan (Labour), Paul Sweeney (Labour)
