Scotland's First Minister backs drug decriminalisation amid rising overdose deaths
John Swinney said Scotland will consider decriminalising personal-use drugs as drug-related deaths rose to 1,133 in 2025, a level he called intolerable.
Statistics for 2025 show an 11 % rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland, reaching 1,133, the highest rate in Europe. First Minister John Swinney described the situation as “unacceptable and intolerable” and said the SNP government supports exploring decriminalisation of personal-use drugs as part of a broader harm-reduction strategy, though any legal change would require Westminster approval. He expressed sympathy for bereaved families and blamed intergenerational poverty, trauma and a surge in synthetic opioids, especially nitazenes, for the increase.
Opposition parties, including Reform UK, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Tories, have lodged motions of no confidence in drug minister Maree Todd and criticised one outlet approach, while Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton warned that warnings about synthetics had been ignored. The government says it is working with police and families and reviewing all powers to address the crisis.
Why it matters
Rising drug deaths in Scotland pressure policymakers to rethink drug laws and public-health strategies.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story as a defence of the Glasgow consumption centre and its reported health-service benefits, while centrist coverage frames it as a government push toward drug de-criminalisation amid rising overdose deaths and broader harm-reduction concerns.
LEFT
Defends the city-centre consumption facility and highlights its emergency-response and referral successes while countering Conservative criticism
CENTER
Backs exploration of drug de-criminalisation as a response to an 11% rise in deaths, portraying the situation as unacceptable and linking it to poverty, trauma and synthetic opioids
The left emphasises
- defended the city-centre drug consumption facility known as The Thistle
- cited the unit’s record of responding to 195 medical emergencies and making 612 referrals
- emphasised person-centred care and the centre as a learning model for tackling addiction
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