Pubdate: Sun, 21 Feb 2016
Source: Sunday Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2016 Sunday Herald
Contact:  http://www.sundayherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/873
Author: Willie Rennie

'WE WILL TREAT DRUG USE AS A HEALTH AND SOCIAL ISSUE NOT A CRIMINAL 
ONE. WE WILL WORK TO ALLEVIATE THE MISERY'

IT'S time for Scotland to change its approach to drug abuse. The 
current policy towards it is costly and fails to work for everyone. 
Drugs misuse costs society UKP3.5 billion a year. That's around 
UKP900 for every adult in Scotland. We're not winning the so-called 
war on drugs and we have to consider the alternatives.

This week, at the Scottish Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference, our 
manifesto commitment to promote a change in drug policy will be set 
out. We are proposing a fundamental reform of the way drug users are 
prosecuted and sentenced. Not drug dealers. We think it is right that 
they can face up to life in prison. But we do not believe vulnerable 
people struggling with addiction should be imprisoned simply for 
possessing drugs for personal use.

We will treat drug use as a health and social issue rather than a 
criminal one. We will address the mental health, housing and 
employment problems so often found with drug abuse.

We will work to alleviate the untold misery caused by serious drug 
addiction. Scotland's prisons are filled to the brim with people who 
are addicted to drugs. Too often people convicted of minor drug 
possession offences find themselves entangled in the criminal justice 
system, which does nothing to help them combat their addiction and 
instead further jeopardises their future employment and life chances.

The first step towards tackling problems created by drugs misuse is 
to stop treating addiction as a crime. We want to institute a 
step-change in treatment of addiction and want to stop drug users 
being thrown in jail. Our policy will free up resources to tackle the 
people and organised crime groups producing and dealing the drugs 
that addicts use.

Drugs policy is a matter reserved to Westminster. But there is 
flexibility in how the legislation is enforced in Scotland. This 
year, Police Scotland introduced a system to deal with low-level 
crimes by issuing on-the-spot recorded warnings. Now, if caught in 
possession of a small amount of cannabis, you might receive one of 
those instead of clogging up the criminal justice system. This is a 
change we have welcomed and want to build on. At Westminster, Liberal 
Democrats have called for the legalisation of cannabis for 
recreational use. As well as supporting those calls we would take 
UK-wide action to tackle the importation of drugs from abroad and 
production of drugs at home.

WE also want to widen access to the facilities offering treatment 
services for alcohol and drugs abuse. Albyn House in Aberdeen is a 
good example of the social and economic value of a Designated Place. 
It is a safe house, a secure place for those found drunk and 
incapable by police to spend the night, instead of being placed in a 
police cell or taking up a hospital bed.

But as of April, Aberdeen City Alcohol and Drug Partnership will 
cease funding for Albyn House. The Scottish Government has washed its 
hands of its responsibility to keep these kinds of services 
available. Instead it has passed the buck on to health boards and 
said they should provide the funding.

The final round of budget discussions takes place in Parliament this 
week. Under John Swinney's proposals there is a staggering UKP15m 
slashed from the main funding lines for drug and alcohol services. 
Given that only UKP70m was allocated last year, that represents a cut 
of almost 20 per cent.

It will be more costly to people's lives, communities and our economy 
if the services provided by alcohol and drug partnerships disappear. 
That's why I have written to the Deputy First Minister asking him to 
make sure his Budget guarantees funding for specialist detox 
facilities and other drug and alcohol abuse services. Their doors 
must remain open.

We want an evidence-based approach to drugs that reduces crime and 
keeps people healthy. We are the only major party recognising that we 
are not winning the so-called war on drugs. We are the only major 
party prepared to tackle the harm drugs cause. And we are the only 
party willing to look at alternatives to address the addictions.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom