Scottish government proposes legalising drug possession

(Patria) - Scotland, which has one of the highest drug death rates in Europe, is seeking to decriminalise all drugs for personal use, AFP reported.

The move would "allow people who are found to be in possession of drugs to be treated and supported, not criminalised and excluded," the Scottish government in Edinburgh said in a statement accompanying the publication of a document on drug law reform.

Decriminalisation would also mean that people in recovery would have a better chance of employment because they would not have a criminal record. The proposals also include legislative changes that would allow the government to "fully and properly implement harm reduction measures," such as supervised drug consumption facilities.

"Scotland needs a caring, compassionate and human rights-based drug policy, with public health and harm reduction as core principles. We are ready to work with the UK government to implement this progressive policy," said Scottish drugs minister Elena Whitham.

But the government in London, which is responsible for drug laws across the country, does not support it.

"Although I haven't seen those reports, I think I'm confident enough to say that there are no plans to change our tough stance on drugs," a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

The main opposition Labour Party also rejected a change in drug policy.

"The short answer is no," said finance spokesperson Rachel Reeves. "I don't think this sounds like good policy," she added.

Scotland had 1,330 drug-related deaths in 2021, according to government data, nine fewer than in 2020.

The slight decline comes after eight consecutive years of increases since 2013. Scotland's drug misuse death rate in 2020 was 3.7 times higher than in the UK as a whole, and higher than any European country.