Radical drug reforms proposed by the Scottish Government – including decriminalisation of possession for personal use – were knocked down by Westminster within an hour of being announced. Scottish drugs minister Elena Whitham announced on Friday a shift in her Government’s position on personal use, as well as a framework for the creation of drug consumption rooms and the consideration of implementing the regulated supply of drugs.
A policy paper produced by the Scottish Government said decriminalisation would free “individuals from the fear of accessing treatment and support, reducing drug-related harms and, ultimately, improving lives”. Drug laws remain reserved to Westminster and the Scottish Government has engaged in repeated battles with the UK Government in recent years as it tries to stem the tide of Western Europe’s highest drug deaths.
In the final paragraph of the paper, Ms Whitham says that while “independence or further devolution” would allow the policies to be implemented, “these changes are not dependent on constitutional changes”.
