Drugs

Drug-related deaths in Scotland increased by six per cent last year, according to official statistics. National Records of Scotland figures show there were 1,264 deaths, an increase of 77 on 2018 and the highest figure on record. However, the increase last year was significantly lower than the 27 pe

Vancouver, one of the biggest cities in Canada, has become the first jurisdiction in the country to take steps towards decriminalising personal possession of drugs including heroin and cocaine. City councillors unanimously backed proposals from Mayor Kennedy Stewart to adopt a "health-focused" appro

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has defended a man charged by police for operating an illegal drugs consumption van in Glasgow. Peter Krykant was charged with obstruction under the Misuse of Drugs Act, The Times reports.

Almost £4 million has been allocated by the Drug Deaths Taskforce to projects to support its work reducing harm and deaths. The taskforce has announced the Scottish government funding for research and front-line services to help tackle the drug deaths public health emergency over the next year

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce has welcomed a successful cross border operation where Police Scotland arrested 59 people and seized more than £25 million pounds worth of controlled drugs. More than £7 million in cash and firearms, ammunition, explosives and industrial pill presses

Drugs prosecutions in Scotland have plummeted following a change in policy. Figures show that cases have halved in four years, with prosecutors applying what they say is "smart", not "soft touch" justice.

People with lived experience will lead the agenda at a Scottish conference on drug use in Glasgow. This event, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on Wednesday 26 February, is being organised jointly by the Scottish government and Glasgow City Council.

The SNP has called on the UK government to take up the recommendation of a key Westminster committee and hold a consultation on the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use. In a new report, the health and social care committee said a health-focused and harm reduction approach would ben

A judge in Mexico has granted two people the right to use cocaine recreationally in the first ever ruling of its kind. Both claimants were granted the right to "possess, transport and use cocaine" but not sell it, Mexico United Against Crime (MUCD) said.

A holistic approach to drug addiction is necessary to free users "entrenched" in their habits, a sheriff at Scotland's only drugs court has said. Sheriff Lindsay Wood presides over Glasgow Drug Court, established in 2001 to reduce drug-related offending.

Drug possession has been “virtually decriminalised” in Scotland, with prosecutors declining to take up the vast majority of cases, The Times reports. One in 30 recorded drug offences translates into a prison term, with offenders more likely to receive a warning.

A new taskforce to tackle the rising number of drug deaths in Scotland is to be chaired by Professor Catriona Matheson from the University of Stirling. The taskforce will examine the main causes of drug deaths, promote action to improve the health outcomes for people who use drugs, and advise on fur

A senior Scottish police officer has called for an overhaul of the UK's drugs regime. Steve Johnson, an assistant chief constable, said the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was a relic “ripe for reform” as he backed the use of safe injecting rooms, The Times reports.

The past few years have brought about the most profound shift in the global narcotics trade for decades, according to a leading figure in international drug control efforts who will give a public lecture at the University of Dundee next month. Dr Justice Tettey, chief of the laboratory and scientifi

A controversial ban on the sale of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Ireland has succeeded in reducing health problems associated with their use, according to new research. In an article published by the journal Early Intervention in Psychiatry, researchers said the 2010 ban was followed by head