Drug use rates in Scotland at all time high

Another story about the drug problem in Scotland has been circulating around the media in the last few days. The recently published report places Scotland as having among the highest rates of drug use in the world, followed by Afghanistan, Iran, Costa Rica, Mauritius and Russia. The survey carried out by the UN shows the rate of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine use in Scotland to be higher than almost every other country. The report highlights that almost 4% of the Scottish population is regularly using drug cocaine, the highest rate of anywhere in the world. In terms of opiate use, Scotland also ranks among the highest, with 1.5% of Scottish adults injecting or smoking opiates, almost 3 times the world average. Scotland’s ecstasy use is also among the highest in the world with 2.5% of the population using ecstasy, a jump of almost 50% in the last six years and a third higher than in England or Wales. In terms of the costs spend by users, the report estimates around 1.4 billion is spent. In terms of drug related deaths, Scotland is also reported to have the highest rate in Europe.

In examining why Scotland has such high levels of drug use compared to other countries, it is worth looking at a number of other factors. Obviously a whole range of issues ultimately lead to such high drug use levels, such as poverty, unemployment and so on. However, availability of drugs and the lack of adequate treatment are also key in explaining these levels of use. Scottish film-maker Angus Macqueen’s recently aired documentary “Our drugs war” which examines the failure of the war on drugs, highlighted the fact that only 1% of heroin smuggled into Scotland was being seized by the authorities. This startling revelation by the top drugs enforcement officers in Scotland highlights the extent of the failure in attempting to enforce their outdated drugs laws. The current price of drugs in Scotland is also at the lowest levels it has ever been at it, suggesting that supply is at the highest it’s ever been. If they cannot control supply, they must surely provide suitable treatment and services to the drug using community.

However, it should also be noted that these statistics often have a tendency to contain inaccuracies, particularly in how they are compiled. A recent UN report suggesting Scotland had the highest drug related crime rates was shown to have a number of glaring accuracies. When one considers that the UN report placed Scotland above Mexico in terms of drug related crime when Mexico has recorded 7000 drug related murders in the last year, 28,000 murders since 2006, one has to questions the methods used to compile these reports. 

Regardless of any inaccuracies in the recording and compiling of these statistics, it is clear; the current drug laws have failed in Scotland. With Scotland’s own top police officers claiming they will never achieve the 60% drug seizure targets outlined by the UN, the question is why they have not sought to reform a clearly failed policy. With 1.5% of the population reportedly using opiates, there are far too few services catering for the health needs of these people, which have extreme knock-on consequences for the health services and criminal justice system. A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are investing a record £28.6 million in 2010/11 for frontline drug treatment services, a 20% increase on 2006/07.”  However, I would contend that this is still pitifully too small considering the scale of use in Scotland.

Scotland’s has a 15% higher mortality rate than in England and Wales (and expected to rise in the next report in 2011). Researchers from Glasgow, writing online in the British Medical Journal in 2008, estimated that around 32% of excess mortality in Scotland was due to drug use, with drug users 12 times more likely to die than those in the general population. A more sensible allocation of resources towards treatment and rehabilitation would not only stop the drain of resources on the already overstretched health and criminal justice departments, but would create help reduce crime rates and even drug use, if rehabilitation centres were properly funded.