Scottish Government launches new drugs strategy

The Scottish Government has launched a new five-strand strategy aimed at tackling the country's drugs problems. The government said that the focus of this new strategy would revolve around recovery and helping people live drug-free lives. The Community Safety Minister, Fergus Ewing, has said that £94million will be spent over the next three years on tackling drug abuse, and that funding for drug treatment programmes will be increased by 3.8 per cent.

Mr. Ewing pointed out Scotland has, per head of the population, more drug addicts than most comparable European countries. The Scottish Government has estimated the cost of the country's drug problem costs it £2.6billion a year. Much of that figure comes from the cost of crime, with heroin users needing to find up to £300 a week to feed their addiction, as well as the cost of taking addicts to court and jailing them. The Director of Scottish Drugs Forum, David Liddell, has welcomed the Scottish Governments announcement.