Scotland has the highest drug-death rate in Europe. Chronic and multiple complex disadvantage – poor physical and mental health, unemployment, unstable housing, involvement with the criminal justice system and family breakdown – can predispose people to high-risk drug use. The Scottish Government has launched a coordinated suite of measures to tackle the drug-deaths crisis in Scotland. As part of this, the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce was established in July 2019 to identify measures to improve health by preventing and reducing drug use, harm and related deaths.

Context Two basic principles underpinned all our work:
1. Drug-related deaths are preventable and we must act now.
2. Scotland and the Scottish Government must focus on what can be done within our powers.

Culture A big cultural shift is required in Scotland to tackle the harms associated with drug use. Three principles for change are central to this cultural shift: 1. this is everyone’s responsibility; 2. broad culture change from stigma, discrimination and punishment towards care, compassion and human rights is needed; and 3. families and people with lived or living experience should be at the heart of the development and delivery of services.

Care Three principles for change must be integral to the care provided for every individual: 1. parity of treatment, respect and regard with any other health condition must be ensured; 2. services must be person-centred, not service-centric; and 3. there needs to be national consistency that takes account of local need.

Co-ordination Two core principles underpin co-ordination: 1. appropriate resource is required to bring about meaningful change, but it must be targeted to where it is most needed; and 2. strong decisive leadership is essential to success.