Meeting of the Parliament 09 October 2025
I have thought a lot about how to open this debate. I have moved through different positions on what I want to emphasise at the very beginning—there is so much that I want to get through. This debate is so important to so many: to the people who invested time and energy in the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, and to those who may not know all the detail of how we got here but who simply hope that the bill can help to address the appalling number of drug and alcohol-related deaths in Scotland.
That is where I will begin—with that shocking loss of life. Last year, there were 1,017 drug deaths and 1,185 alcohol-related deaths. Our fellow Scots’ lives were cruelly cut short and families were heartbroken, carrying the pain of loss that will never go away. That is happening to far too many people far too often. Over the course of one day—today, when we are in this chamber, debating this bill—six more of our fellow Scots will die from drug or alcohol addiction. For them, the bill will be too late. However, we can give hope to so many others.
This afternoon, I was outside, meeting supporters of the bill. I spoke to one mother who wanted to thank everyone who is getting behind the bill because, tragically, she lost her son two and a half years ago. However, her daughter, who faced similar addiction problems, got the support that she needs and now works in drug recovery. That mother, who is going through the pain of the loss of a son, feels pride in a daughter who has turned her life around. I also heard from John, who told us that, six or seven years ago, he went to sleep every night wishing that he would not wake up in the morning—but he did. He kept going, he got support and he was out there today, banging the drum for members of the Scottish Parliament to back the bill.
We have a simple choice: to agree or not the general principles of the bill. That is not to say that it is the finished article or that it is perfect in every way—it is just about whether we agree that there should be a guarantee for everyone to receive the treatment that they need, when they need it, to tackle their addiction.