Methadone to remain as main drug treatment method
22/07/2007
During a recent visit to a drugs project in the east end of Glasgow, I saw at first-hand the devastating impact drugs can have on our communities.
I was struck - and moved - by the experiences of former addicts who had been able to rebuild their lives, thanks to the support of frontline staff, their families and their own commitment to getting off drugs.
I was told in no uncertain terms that, once they had stopped taking them, staying off drugs was the hardest thing they've ever done.
It's estimated that there are around 50,000 problematic drug users in Scotland - that's around one per cent of the population. Most of us know someone who has been affected by drugs and the problem is substantially more serious here than in other parts of the UK.
When I asked people in Glasgow what I could do to prevent others from falling into drugs there was, naturally, a plea for more resources. But they also recognised it wasn't all about more money. It is also about spending money on the right things - making sure there is effective treatment and effective services to help people stay off drugs and live drug free.
Providing this kind of help does not in any way dilute our commitment to cracking down on those who peddle drugs.
The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency already has an impressive track record in bringing down these gangs and networks. Since June 2000, their operations have led to the seizure of nearly two-and-a-half tonnes of Class A drugs with a street value in excess of £140 million as well as increased seizures of cannabis.
But as well as being tough on crime we need to be tough on the causes of crime - that means addressing the factors that so often contribute to it - and drugs are a major cause.
Tomorrow the new Scottish government will publish a series of reports which underline the need for our broader approach to building safer and stronger communities.
They will show that the number of heroin addicts on methadone is ten per cent higher than previously thought. They will show that too few receive the rehabilitation they need to move on to drug-free lives. And, having looked in great detail at the current approach, the reports make a series of important recommendations.
We will be studying and discussing the implications of these reports in great detailbut let me be clear, it serves no purpose to be simplistically anti-methadone. Methadone can stabilise lives, and it has a positive impact on the lives of many people who are treated with it. Most experts acknowledge it is entirely appropriate for methadone to be the major element of the treatment available for opiate dependency.
However, methadone must also come with genuine rehabilitation, to help addicts find a route out of drugs. We need to be more than a prescription service. We need to focus our attention on how best we can move people on from methadone, into the healthy and productive family and working lives that most of us take for granted.
More effective treatment is just one part of tackling the demand for drugs. Better education, and smarter and more effective interventions through the justice and health systems will also be part of our plans. We will make sure children are protected from the drug addictions of their parents.
For years we have heard about there being a war against drugs in Scotland. From the addicts I have met, I am increasingly of the view that this is a misnomer. Not a war - but a multitude of very personal battles.
Over 50,000 people will be fighting that personal battle as you read this. A battle fought every minute of every day. Between hope and despair. Between temptation and resolve.
I am determined to keep on listening to communities, families and individuals as we develop an agreed way forward. And later this week I will also chair a major meeting of experts in the field, which will provide an ideal opportunity to discuss some of the key strands of the government's approach to tackling this crucial issue.
It is government's job to bring people together to make sure the right support is there when it's needed - to tip the balance in favour of hope. If we can do that, lives can be turned round. And we will all benefit from that - from a safer, healthier and stronger Scotland.