Swinney backs decriminalisation of drugs after spike in deaths
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has reaffirmed his government's support for decriminalising personal drug use following a significant rise in drug-related fatalities. Scotland recorded 1,133 drug deaths last year, an 11% increase that maintains its status as having the highest rate in Europe. Opposition parties have criticized the government's record, while Swinney attributes the crisis to poverty, trauma, and the spread of harmful synthetic opioids.
- ▪Scotland recorded 1,133 drug-related deaths last year, representing an 11% increase from 2024.
- ▪First Minister John Swinney stated that his government supports decriminalising personal drug use, though the UK government must agree for implementation.
- ▪The Scottish government has established the UK's first safer consumption facility in Glasgow and is preparing to open a drugs-checking facility.
- ▪Drug-related deaths in Scotland's most deprived areas are 15 times higher than in the least deprived areas.
- ▪Opposition leaders, including Scottish Labour and the Conservatives, have condemned the government's approach, with some calling the record indefensible.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmpq087p5qxro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:19:31 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-24T15:25:26.692Z |
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Swinney backs decriminalisation of drugs after spike in deathsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, John Swinney expressed his sympathies to families who had lost loved ones Published2 minutes agoFirst Minister John Swinney has reaffirmed his government's support for decriminalising all drugs for personal use following a spike in drugs deaths.Scotland has retained its grim moniker as Europe's drugs deaths capital after it was revealed there were 1,133 fatalities related to illicit drugs last year, a rise of 116 (11%) on 2024.Swinney described the rise as "unacceptable and intolerable", but opposition leaders rounded on the first minister, calling his record "indefensible".
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