Speaking at yesterday’s Holyrood debate on drug-related deaths, the party’s health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton stressed the importance of trauma-informed care when dealing with addiction and its treatment.

During the debate, the party secured an amendment to confirm Parliament’s support for strengthened guidance from the Lord Advocate on the issue of diversion from prosecution.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Liberal Democrats have had an evidence-based approach to drug policy for years. We called for decriminalisation of drug use long before any other party in this chamber, and the case of Portugal is just one example of its effectiveness.

“Trauma informed care should be at the heart of every aspect of recovery from drug addiction, because there is an undeniable correlation between adverse childhood experiences and drug misuse.

“We have to reduce the misery of drug abuse with compassion and health treatment, rather than prosecution. Because we’re still sending the same number of people to prison for personal possession as we were a decade ago.

“The current system is just like an endless, destructive carousel with pointless prosecutions that only cause more harm. It needs to be stopped.”