In Scotland, people using drugs or who have recently entered drug treatment have organised into a cohesive group with demands. In their first statement, the group has called for greater political participation in designing Scottish drug policies.
Building platforms for drug using voices
For a few years, Scotland has been trying to get to grips with its struggles with drug harms. Poverty, rising inequality, homelessness and a public health and social support system hamstrung by austerity has generated what’s been widely recognised as a public health crisis. In 2021, the Scottish Government made it a “national mission” to reduce drug deaths and bring in serious investments for treatment services.
The Scottish Drugs Death Taskforce, established earlier this decade, recommended that a broad move away from stigma is needed to prevent more drug-related deaths. To ensure this, people with living or lived experience – whether that’s of using drugs, of being in drug treatment services, or having a close relative going through these experiences – should be included at the heart of developing and implementing future solutions.
The taskforce also established standards for how Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in drug treatment services should be delivered, which were established by Public Health Scotland in 2021. The MAT standards – which track various indicators, like same-day medication prescribing, choice in medications, access to harm reduction services, and more – are meant to ensure that anyone involved in drug treatment receives safe, accessible and high-quality treatment. The standards are individually benchmarked by Scotland’s 29 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), regional units composed of health board and third sector drug organisations.
In December 2024, the Scottish Government published a “Charter of rights for people affected by substance use”, a guiding framework that outlines the protected rights that people who use drugs have: their right to life, to accessing medical treatment, to an adequate living standard, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and more. The Charter works alongside the MAT standards, focusing on the human rights of those in treatment.
Keeping services accountable
It’s within this context that the Living Experience Engagement Group was borne. Coordinated by SDF, the Living Experience Group is a network of local groups of people currently using drugs (or who have recently entered treatment services) who regularly meet to anonymously share their experiences. With over 130 people meeting almost weekly in 12 groups across Scotland, they bring together the voices of many to hold drug treatment services accountable to their Charter protected rights and have a say in designing drug policies that directly impact them. There, people can share their experiences, train up on their Charter-protected rights, and eventually become peer representatives to advocate for others in treatment settings.
Recently, the Group released a statement, highlighting their intentions.
“We believe that lasting, meaningful change happens when those with the deepest understanding of an issue are not only heard but are central to shaping solutions.”
“Living Experience Engagement Groups are here to take charge. We are not here to be managed, fixed, or saved. We are here to demand the future we deserve.”
The statement highlights their call for revolution – one of “of hope, courage, and connection”, that disrupts how current political, social and health systems have been ignoring or excluding them, determining their future without them.
“We are extending our hands not in opposition, but in determined collaboration – rooted in truth, justice, and shared humanity. To those in positions of influence and power – stand with us. Let’s build systems that honour dignity, empower communities, and deliver real outcomes.”
(The full statement, published at the conference, can be read at the end of this article.)
Bringing together drug using voices
Jason Wallace, one of the coordinators of the Living Experience Group, explained to TalkingDrugs that the Groups wanted to put out a statement because they felt that the reality of going through drug treatment services was different to what ADPs were reporting.
“That’s what motivated [the Group]. They want to have some sort of statement to say, look, we’re no longer just going to sit back and it set to illness for years when we know there’s something different happening,” he said.
Part of the challenge of having the representation of voices actively using drugs. Wallace acknowledged that Scotland has a good track record of engaging with lived people – but less so with living. This distinction is important for designing treatment services that are as up to date as possible.
“These people perhaps haven’t been actively involved in services for a long time, and are especially abstinence-driven, which may not reflect the needs of people right now,” he said. This is crucial in today’s evolving drug market, which is increasingly defined by new drugs like synthetic opioids, unique drug combinations (as seen with combined opiate and benzodiazepine use or speedballing) and more.
Work with us
As much as the language in the statement is about taking control, the Living Experience Group calls for cooperation between policymakers and those living the realities of the drug market.
“As much as some of it [the statement’s language] is hard-hitting… it’s very cooperative, it’s asking people to come and collaborate to build better services that meet people’s needs and are far kinder, compassionate and actually suit what people want.”
Wallace underscored that Government commitments and the Charter were great to have, and that they could be complemented with voices from the ground. This was one of the reasons why putting the statement together had been such a positive experience.
“One of the reasons it was so positive was that they felt this was an opportunity for people to actually hear their own words and not the ones of somebody else. It wasn’t what SDF thought, or the ADP, or the government. It was their own words.”
Statement by Read the Living Experience Engagement Groups Statement here.
