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Calls for Multi-Year Funding for Addiction Services in West Lothian
A Liberal Democrat councillor in West Lothian has urged for the implementation of safe consumption rooms in response to rising drug-related deaths in the area. Sally Pattle, councillor for Linlithgow, emphasised the urgent need for the Scottish Government to fully fund addiction services, highlighting the increased risks associated with new and synthetic drugs.
According to the National Records of Scotland (NRS), West Lothian recorded 39 drug deaths in the previous year, which marks a significant rise from the figures reported in 2024. Across Scotland, the total number of drug deaths rose to 1,133, an increase of 77.3% compared to the previous year. Over the past decade, West Lothian has experienced a 160% increase in drug deaths.
Councillor Pattle stated that the Scottish Liberal Democrats had been warning the government about the dangers of nitazenes, a type of synthetic opioid, for almost three years, asserting that insufficient action has been taken to address this emerging threat. She called for a national rollout of safer drug consumption centres, asserting that such facilities have been proven to save lives.
Expressing her concern over the increasing number of drug-related fatalities, Pattle referred to each death as a tragedy for the affected families. She stated, “We are now five years into the SNP’s national mission to tackle drug deaths, but the crisis has now taken a major turn for the worse.”
Pattle also proposed the introduction of multi-year funding for all drug and alcohol services and the establishment of drug checking services to tackle the ongoing crisis.
In response, the Scottish Government acknowledged the need for further action. Maree Todd, Minister for Alcohol and Drugs, expressed condolences to those who have lost loved ones to drug use, characterising each death as preventable. She noted the challenges posed by an increasingly toxic drug supply and the rise in deaths involving cocaine and synthetic opioids.
Todd reported that the government has made strides, such as funding over 1,100 residential rehabilitation placements in the previous year and increasing access to treatment and life-saving naloxone. However, she indicated that more efforts are necessary to address the tragic loss of life associated with drug use.
The Minister outlined that the government’s new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan would aim to strengthen surveillance and improve links between treatment, housing, and other services, particularly targeting communities at the highest risk. Additionally, she noted the upcoming opening of Scotland’s first local drug-checking service in Glasgow this October.
The Scottish Government has expressed its commitment to addressing drug harms as a public health issue and called for collaboration with the UK Government to secure greater powers over drug policy.
