The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the ‘distinct range of issues and problems associated with drug use’ in Scotland.

Problem drug use is disproportionately higher compared to England and other European countries. Drugs-related deaths have increased consistently – rising from 224 in 1997 to 934 in 2017 – with opioid drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl and morphine, involved in 89% of cases.

The Committee has said the inquiry follows ‘tensions between reserved and devolved powers in this area [that] have recently come to light following the Scottish Government’s proposal to establish a safe, legal drug consumption facility known as a ‘fix room’ in Glasgow, which was rendered impossible as it required legislative change at Westminster’.

The Committee will explore the drivers behind the increase in problem drug use and drug-related deaths in Scotland, before considering whether the Scottish Government has sufficient powers to implement the drug treatment or prevention strategies which could most effectively deal with emerging trends in problem drug use in Scotland. 

Underlining the need for action, the Committee emphasises ‘there is also a particularly strong link between problem drug use and poverty and deprivation in Scotland’.

Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, Pete Wishart, said:

“Scotland’s drug problem is widely known, but the drivers behind it and the reality of drugs users’ day to day lives remain largely hidden.

“The UK Government, which is responsible for drug legislation, cannot turn a blind eye to the escalating drug problem in Scotland. My Committee’s inquiry will uncover the truth behind drug misuse in Scotland; why drug-related deaths are on the rise, and how the UK and Scottish Government should work together to combat this worrying trend.”

As part of its inquiry, the Committee is calling for written evidence related to the drivers of drug abuse in Scotland, alongside comments on the extent to which UK-wide drugs legislation affects the Scottish Government’s ability to address the specific drivers of drug abuse north of the border.

Evidence related to collaboration between the UK and Scottish governments is wanted, as well as examples from other countries of efforts to tackle drug misuse that could inform the approach taken in Scotland.