Hansard

I welcome the motion and the Labour amendment. Nanette Milne is absolutely right—the role of families is key to the success of our national drug strategy “The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland’s Drug Problem”.

To set the context for the debate, it is important to consider the considerable amount of information that we have on drug use and its impact on families. Recently published reports show us that illegal drug use in the general adult population in Scotland has declined by more than a fifth since 2006. We also know that reported drug use among our young people is falling steadily. That said, 59,600 individuals use opiates in Scotland. There were 485 drug-related deaths in 2010, of which many—but not necessarily all—can be attributed to opiates. Although fewer and fewer young people contribute to that tragic statistic, we have an ageing cohort of drug users who have experienced poorer health over the past decade. We can see that group moving through the population.

It is important that in the debate we recognise not only the support that is given by families, but the support that is needed by families. Those are two different things—they are not exactly the same. In Scotland, we recognise that recovery is a long-term process that involves patience and the potential for relapse. By its nature, it requires a person-centred approach and yet it must be supported by a wider recovery community.

The role of families in recovery and the impact of drug use on families were eloquently explained to me when I first met the chair and director of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs last year. I then attended the organisation’s national conference to make clear the commitment of the Scottish Government to support our families and communities across Scotland on their own road to recovery. Nanette Milne used a word that I have used frequently after meeting those people: “inspiring”. Their experience and their commitment are an inspiration to all of us. Such is our commitment as a Government to Scottish Families Affected by Drugs that I provided additional funding in 2012-13 to support it through a challenging period of transition and reorganisation.

Nanette Milne also mentioned the Scottish Recovery Consortium, which is another key organisation in the recovery movement. The consortium has set in motion an innovative and ambitious programme for 2012-13 and beyond. The work programme, which is directly funded by the Scottish Government, outlines proactive steps to accelerate the growth of recovery communities across Scotland—communities that start with peer and family support and grow into a network of peers, families, services and advocacy, making recovery a reality.

The consortium also plays a leading role in tackling stigma in the context of recovery. It is clear that stigma is a significant barrier to people accessing help. It is a further and unjust pressure on families and is not tolerable in the 21st century, when—more than ever before—altruism and our sense of community will underpin success in bringing about recovery. The battle against stigma is one that has been long fought on behalf of vulnerable individuals by the Scottish Drugs Forum. The SDF has an important role in developing peer support, advocacy services and family support across Scotland.

Together with the Scottish Recovery Consortium, individuals across Scotland in recovery are being supported to give something back to their families and their communities. I meet people who are in the process of doing precisely that on a regular basis. The stories that they have to tell—and sometimes the length of time that it has taken them to get there—are astonishing. That work requires patience on the part of communities and families as well.

The Scottish Government provided the Scottish Drugs Forum with a package of funding to help us jointly to implement our world-leading naloxone programme. The programme empowers not only individuals but families to save a life. The reality of drug misuse is that individuals put their lives at risk. To lose a family member is a terrible tragedy, which is why I committed a further £400,000 in 2012-13 to the national naloxone programme, to ensure that naloxone is widely available throughout Scotland. As naloxone is not an antidote that can be self-administered, the programme has proactively engaged families, peers and communities in training and awareness programmes. At its best, the programme encourages an early discussion within the family about drug use and the risk of overdose. From there, it is but a small step to recovery.