#StopTheDeaths Conference 2025

SDF's annual

Prioritising people - from politics to practice

Day 1: 27 August 2025 - DAY 2: 28 August 2025

Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow

10am - 4pm

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Scottish Drugs Forum’s annual #StopTheDeaths conference returns in 2025 with a two-day event dedicated to reducing drug-related deaths and harms. This year’s conference takes place on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 August at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow.

Timed to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, the conference will bring together key stakeholders, including people with lived and living experience, policymakers, service providers, health and social care professionals to explore democratic policy development, service improvement, and harm reduction practices.

The programme will feature a mix of panel discussions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, with a focus on policy and practice in Scotland and internationally. A pre-conference lived and living experience event will shape discussions, ensuring that the voices of those directly impacted remain central to the conversation.

DAY 1: 27 August 2025
Day 2: 28 August 2025
Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
10am - 4pm

Day One

Developing evidence-based policy and strategy:

Delegates will be joined by people with living experience, people developing policy and elected representatives to discuss recent developments in the way policies are produced.

Day Two

Developing evidence-based services:

Delegates will be joined by people developing and delivering innovative practice as well as people with living experience engaged with these services to discuss progress made and the future service provision.

EVENT SPEAKERS

Lynn Ruane

Lynn Ruane is an independent Irish politician, who has served as a Senator and the deputy leader of the Civil Engagement Group in Seanad Éireann since 2016.

Lynn is from Tallaght an historically underserved and neglected community in Dublin.
A long-time community and drugs worker, Lynn now champions the causes closest to her heart and community in Ireland’s parliament.

Lynn has tabled bills pursuing harm reduction in drug policy, meaningful rehabilitation in criminal justice, a fairer child maintenance system for lone-parents, and the cessation of the misuse of non-disclosure agreements.

In addition to her legislative work, Lynn has been a member of parliamentary Committees, including Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth, Justice, and Drugs Use.

Lynn is also a writer and screenwriter; the creator of the award-winning podcast ‘Conversations on the Margins’; co-presenter of the RTÉ documentary ‘Lady Gregory – Ireland’s First Social Influencer’ with Miriam Margolyes. Her first feature length film, ‘Ready or Not’, premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival in 2025.

Neil Gray MSP

Neil Gray MSP was born and brought up in Orkney and was educated at Kirkwall Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Stirling in 2008 with a first-class Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in politics and journalism.

He was elected to represent Airdrie and Shotts Constituency at the 2001 Scottish Parliament election. Prior to becoming an MP, Mr Gray worked for former Scottish Government Health Secretary Alex Neil MSP as his Airdrie and Shotts constituency office manager.

Peter sarosi

Péter Sárosi is the Executive Director of the Rights Reporter Foundation. He is a human rights activist and drug policy expert, the founder and editor of the Drugreporter website since 2004, the author of countless articles, co-author of books and director of films about harm reduction and drug policy reform.

As a member of the @drugreporter_rrf video advocacy team, he has produced videos about drug policy issues in a number of countries. These videos are now part of a unique online drug policy video library.

We are delighted that Péter will be joined by his colleague István Gábor Takács, a human rights activist, videographer and trainer. Together they will capture the essence of the conference on film and will be interviewing people throughout the event.

Eddie Mullins & Orla Condren

Eddie Mullins and Orla Condren from Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) will be speaking at our August conference!

Their presentation will offer a powerful insight into the journey of establishing Ireland’s first Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF).

With decades of experience between them, Eddie and Orla bring deep expertise in supporting people facing complex social and health challenges. Don’t miss this vital discussion on public health, social inclusion, and the future of harm reduction services in Ireland.

Sharon Hutchinson

Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Sharon Hutchinson from Glasgow Caledonian University, will be speaking at our #StopTheDeaths Conference this August.

Sharon leads a broad research programme on the epidemiology of blood-borne viruses in Scotland, with a focus on evaluation of interventions to prevent infection and other drug-related harms among people who inject drugs. As lead investigator on multiple initiatives including Scotland’s national bio-behavioural survey of people who inject drugs (otherwise known as ‘NESI’), her work has informed national and international policies on the prevention of infectious diseases in this population group.

Sharon will be sharing insights on Glasgow’s response to high drug-related deaths and the recent HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs – including plans to evaluate the city’s pilot Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF), The Thistle.

Tony Duffin

Tony Duffin will be speaking at the first day of our #StopTheDeaths Conference on 27th August. Tony’s presentation will dive into Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use as a powerful example of deliberative democracy. It covers the assembly’s processes and the diverse range of perspectives involved. From live streaming and media coverage to impactful recommendations, this presentation will explore how the assembly worked in practice and whether it has truly shaped change.

Tony Duffin is a leading harm reduction advocate. He recently stepped down as CEO of Ireland’s Ana Liffey Drug Project, where for 20 years he championed low-threshold, harm reduction approaches for people who use drugs, particularly those experiencing homelessness and complex health needs. During his tenure, he led initiatives including mobile harm reduction units, responses to crack cocaine, and co-case management with police.

Tony played a pivotal role in securing legislative approval for Ireland’s first supervised injecting facility, and Ana Liffey’s early work on harm reduction at festivals helped pave the way for national drug checking initiatives. Internationally, he has advised on harm reduction and drug policy in Colombia, Ukraine, and the UK.

Why we bring people together

The #StopTheDeaths conference exists because every drug-related death is preventable. We gather to challenge stigma, promote evidence-based solutions, and push for urgent action that prioritises people’s lives. By bringing together voices from across policy, practice, and experience, we aim to:

Foster collaboration between key stakeholders to drive meaningful change.

Amplify the voices of those with direct experience of drug-related harms.

Explore innovative approaches to reducing overdose deaths and improving services.

Create a space for dialogue, reflection, and action to shape the future of drug policy in Scotland.

Who should attend 

Your voice matters. Individuals with lived and living experience, families, and those affected by drug use are not just attendees—they are essential leaders in shaping the future of policy and practice. We encourage attendance from people to join the conversation, drive change, and make an impact.

This event will be of interest to people working across the drugs and wider health and care sectors.  People developing policy and designing, commissioning, managing and delivering services for people at risk of drug-related harms should make sure to attend this event.   

Why attend  

Over the last eight years, SDF’s annual #StopTheDeaths conference has become Scotland’s largest and best attended drug-related conference.  Now expanded to two days, the event offers a unique opportunity to contribute to discussion, learning and networking with colleagues from across Scotland, the UK and internationally.     

To support the event, SDF is working with people with living experience from across Scotland to ensure that they are present and contributing to this event. The too often marginalised voices of people using drugs, using services and most affected by policy and practice will be central to the event.   

This year the conference will include significant contributions from colleagues working in Ireland where parallel developments and innovation offer the opportunity for mutual learning and support.     

As we approach 2026 and the end of the National Mission to Reduce Drug Deaths and Harms, the conference will include politicians of multiple parties on lessons learned and future policy development.   

Are you attending or speaking at our conference?

Help us spread the word!

Whether you’re attending or speaking, why not download our Social Media Pack and share your excitement on your own channels?

Together, we can raise awareness and take action to #StopTheDeaths.

What is #StopTheDeaths

The Stop the Deaths initiative, hosted at www.stopthedeaths.com, advocates for urgent action to tackle Scotland’s drug-related deaths crisis. #StopTheDeaths raises awareness, amplifies the voices of those affected, and calls for policy and service improvements. The annual conference aligns with this initiative, offering a platform to discuss solutions and drive real change.