Committee
Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting) 01 May 2024
01 May 2024 · S6 · Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)
Item of business
Drug Deaths and Drug Harm
Yes, in Glenochil.
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
Our main item of business is to take evidence on the progress being made to tackle drug harm and reduce drug deaths. I am pleased to welcome our first panel ...
Kirsten Horsburgh (Scottish Drugs Forum)
Thank you very much for the invite to come back today. When we had the suspected and confirmed drug deaths figure for the year before last, there was some an...
The Convener
SNP
I am not aware that the specific issue of hospital admissions has been raised, highlighted or, indeed, discussed in our previous committee meetings. Do you h...
Kirsten Horsburgh
It is basically what I have explained: I do not have a clear answer for it, to be honest. More community work has taken place, but there is still a real resi...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you. I am sure that other members will want to probe that a little more. I come to Justina Murray. In your comprehensive written submission, you state...
Justina Murray (Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs)
We talk about the implementation gap quite a lot—in fact, I talked about it when I was at committee last year. In Scotland, we have quite a progressive appro...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you—there is a lot in there. That brings me neatly to my next question, for Dr Fletcher, which is on a whole-system approach. Your submission, on beha...
Dr Emma Fletcher
A whole-system approach is imperative. It has been clearly reflected across national and local discussions that it is not down to one agency, organisation or...
The Convener
SNP
You mentioned issues such as housing and employment. I noticed that you outlined in your submission that the “vast majority of people who are affected by dr...
Dr Fletcher
That would be incredibly helpful. My colleagues beside me will also be able to give examples of how elements of the system that we work in are not quite as r...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you, everyone. I will bring in other members now.
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Good morning. I am interested in the statistics on male deaths, as that issue seems to be one of the big problems. Has any work been done to try to understan...
Dr Fletcher
We are seeing a changing pattern with regard to drug deaths and the impact on men and women. For many years, we had predominantly seen drug deaths impacting ...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
Does anybody else want to answer that question?
Kirsten Horsburgh
On a national level, it is absolutely still the case that males are more likely to die from drugs use. More males use drugs, so the population is larger. The...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
I was interested in the fact that, “In 2022, males were twice as likely to have a drug misuse death”. That was only two years ago. Dr Fletcher, I have to s...
Dr Fletcher
I am sorry, but can you repeat that?
Pauline McNeill
Lab
In my papers, it says: “In 2022, males were twice as likely to have a drug misuse death as females. Most of the decrease in the past year was in males.” I ...
Dr Fletcher
Yes.
Pauline McNeill
Lab
But it was only two years ago that men “were twice as likely to have a drug misuse death”.
Justina Murray
I am happy to jump in here. I think that Dr Fletcher was talking about Dundee statistics rather than national statistics—
Pauline McNeill
Lab
Oh, I see.
Justina Murray
Nationally speaking, 20 years ago, men were four or five times more likely to die than women, whereas they are now twice as likely to die. Women’s deaths are...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
That was helpful. I also note Kirsten Horsburgh’s comments about men being more likely to be homeless and all the factors that might lead them to be vulnerab...
Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
First, I have a quick question for Dr Fletcher. A drug consumption facility is coming to Glasgow, and Edinburgh appears to be next. Does Tayside have any pla...
Dr Fletcher
It is something that we are very interested in and are following closely. It will be useful to see the evaluation from Glasgow, as that will guide our approa...
Russell Findlay
Con
If the facility in Glasgow gets up and running in the summer, as we have been told might be the case, how long will it need to be in operation before you can...
Dr Fletcher
Again, it will be really helpful to see the evaluation, as that will guide how we might implement our approach to best effect. That is what we are looking for.
Russell Findlay
Con
Roughly, what kind of timescale would provide useful data? Would it be a year, or six months?
Dr Fletcher
It depends entirely on how the approach is implemented, the feedback that is received, the expansion of MAT standards nationally and all the priorities that ...