Page 7 - MELD Stimulant service

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2 RIGHTS, RESPECT AND RECOVERY
(THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2018)

In 2008, as a result of the increasing amount of harm from drug related use, the
Scottish Government implemented their action plan, “The Road to Recovery”
which aimed to tackle problematic drug use in Scotland. In 2018 “The Road to
Recovery” was superseded by “Rights, Respect and Recovery”, which focusses
on how to best support all individuals to recover from drugs and alcohol issues.
“Rights, Respect and Recovery” takes a human rights-based and public-health
approach to ensure that the best possible treatment, care and responses are
provided to individuals, their family and friends, and society as a whole.

One of the outcomes in “Rights, Respect and Recovery” states that individuals
have access to and benefit from effective, integrated person-centred support to
achieve their recovery. Some of the commitments to achieve this outcome include:
• Ensuring that all people have access to and receive effective services and
interventions that can support them to reduce drug and alcohol use and
achieve their recovery.

• Listening to individuals who have living and lived experience of drug
and alcohol use to develop, design and deliver treatment services and
interventions.

• Develop trauma-informed approaches in alcohol and drug treatment services
and interventions (Scottish Government, 2018).

3 DRUG REPORTED DEATHS IN SCOTLAND

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) reported 1339 drug related deaths in
Scotland in 2020. This the highest number of deaths since the series began in 1996.

Statistics (NRS) 2020 2021
Number of drug related deaths 1339 1390

Cocaine use implicated in deaths 459 403
Number of deaths where *new psychoactive substances 872 825
(NPSs) implicated

More than one drug implicated in death 93% 93%
Age range 35-54 35-54
Male deaths 973 993
Female deaths 366 397

*New psychoactive substances (NPSs) are drugs which have been made to mimic the effects
of illegal substances such as cocaine or ecstasy.