Tag: Scotland

Last week, the Scottish government made a plea to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of drugs as an effort to address the alarming number of overdose deaths in the country, which ranks among the highest in Europe. In a policy proposal, the semi-autonomous government in Edinburgh, led by the Scottish National Party advocating for independence, stated that removing criminal penalties for drug possession would enable the implementation of safe and evidence-based harm reduction services. During a press conference, Scottish… Read more.

The Scottish government says that the war on drugs has “failed” and it’s time to decriminalize currently illicit substances, while promoting harm reduction services like overdose prevention centers. At a press conference on Friday, Scotland Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham called on the government of the U.K., of which the country is a part, to take a public health approach to addiction and abandon the criminalization model. Representatives of the U.K. prime minister—and even the country’s progressive party—have… Read more.