Today’s figures from National Records of Scotland again confirm the tragic and preventable scale of drug-related deaths in our country. Each number in this report represents a person whose life has been cut short, leaving behind grieving families, friends, and communities. The impact of these deaths is profound – felt most acutely by families and those with lived and living experience, who carry both the trauma of personal loss and the determination to see change.
The official reporting of this national crisis has been framed in terms of “drug misuse.” NRS has been directly challenged on this language, which shifts attention away from the realities of poverty, trauma, deprivation and lack of opportunity that underpin problematic drug use. The words we use matter. They shape how society understands this crisis and how we respond to it.
As we look beyond 2026 – the point at which Scotland’s ‘national mission on drugs’ is set to conclude – the urgency of sustained action cannot be overstated. This is not a problem that can be solved within the lifespan of a parliamentary cycle or an electoral term. Policy cannot be at the mercy of political timetables or electioneering. What Scotland needs is a bold, long-term strategy, spanning 15 to 20 years, to address the structural inequalities and social conditions that drive drug-related deaths.
Internationally, there are examples of good practice: evidence-informed approaches that reduce harm, prevent deaths and promote recovery. Yet no single country has brought all of these elements together in a coherent and comprehensive way. Scotland could be the first to do so – to lead the world in creating a public health response that tackles poverty and trauma while recognising the need to decriminalise people as part of the solution.
Meeting this challenge requires leadership at every level. National government must provide vision and long-term commitment, but it cannot act alone. Local authorities, health services, Integration Joint Boards, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, third-sector organisations and communities all have vital roles. Leadership is also about individuals – those who use services, families, and people with lived and living experience who demand change and show us what is possible. Real leadership means listening to these voices, empowering them, and making space for their expertise to shape decisions.
We must also ask questions about whether funding is currently being allocated and managed in a way that delivers real change. Are Integration Joint Boards truly ensuring that resources reach the people and communities who need them most? Without ring-fenced investment and strong systems of accountability, can we even be sure the money is being tracked and used as intended? This is a moment to reflect not only on the amount of investment, but on how transparently and effectively it is being spent.
At this year’s Stop The Deaths conference, we heard again the power of people with lived and living experience to shape change. Their voices must not only be included but placed at the centre of the national conversation and the redesign of services. Without this, progress will be partial and fragile.
There is reason to be hopeful. Change is possible. We know what works. What we require now is the political courage, the solidarity and the leadership – at every level of society – to act with the urgency that the scale of this crisis demands.
Scotland can stop these deaths – but only if we work together, with a vision that extends far beyond the next election and with a shared belief in the value and dignity of every person’s life.
Read the full report from National Records of Scotland here.
Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO, Scottish Drugs Forum