LETTERS AND COMMENT
SafePoint , a supervised injection facility in Surrey , part of the larger Vancouver area , Canada . Credit : Xinhua / Alamy
Scotland clearly has a very significant problem with ‘ deaths of despair ’
BLAME GAME
So Scotland have finally got the go-ahead on their consumption room . I ’ m very much in favour of these facilities being established – north and south of the border – and I genuinely hope more will follow , and that they ’ ll make a difference . But as Nick Goldstein pointed out in these very pages ( The right fix – DDN , November 2018 , page 11 ), once you get beyond the ‘ unquestioned orthodoxies ’ around the subject , there are a number of significant potential problems – not least that very large numbers of drug users have absolutely no interest in using them .
It ' s also curious that as soon as soon as the lord advocate effectively gave her green light by saying that she ’ d be prepared to issue a policy stating that it wasn ’ t in the public interest to prosecute anyone for possession when using a consumption room , the Scottish Government immediately started in with the expectation management . ‘ This is not a silver bullet ,’ said their drugs minister . Well , no . But since they ’ ve spent any number of years blaming Westminster for their own country ’ s shameful drug death statistics , the sanctioning of consumption room pilots effectively gives them one less thing to hide behind . Scotland clearly has a very significant problem with ‘ deaths of despair ’ such as alcohol and drug-related fatalities – and we can all endlessly debate the reasons for that . But its government also halved budgets for drug and alcohol services between 2007 and 2019 , alongside centralising service provision . When the terrible numbers keep rolling in , as I fear they will , just who ’ s going to be left for them to blame ? Ross Hardie , by email
PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE
I wanted to congratulate you on your ongoing series of articles looking at different aspects of commissioning . I have found the articles extremely informative and your focus on best practice and examples of services and commissioners working in partnership with people with lived experience has provided a real sense of positivity around what can be achieved .
While having genuine input from community groups and lived experience recovery organisations ( LEROs ) is essential if you want to create services that meet the needs of the population , it is not always straightforward to achieve this . There is a balance that has to be struck between avoiding ‘ box ticking ’ exercises or asking too much of local groups . Your articles have provided some great examples of how some areas have achieved this and provided a real insight to smaller groups into the process they must undertake to be commissioned in their area . I believe one of the articles was called we are all ‘ On the same team ’.
The Commissioning Quality
Standard ( alcohol and drug and recovery guidance ) August 2022 provides a clear framework for commissioners to work in and the articles in DDN help to put ‘ flesh on the bones ’ by providing real life examples of partnerships in practice . Colin West , by email
Thanks for your feedback ! See the next issue for our spotlight on commissioning related to housing . Editor
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
I was delighted when I saw the news that Scotland ’ s chief law officer stated that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute for possession within a safer injecting pilot , paving the way for the first facility to open in Glasgow . This evidence-based intervention has been proven across the world to tackle drugrelated harms and help prevent drug-related deaths .
Given this , I was extremely disappointed to hear some representatives of the abstinencebased recovery movement voicing their dismay over what they saw as funding of harm reduction measures ahead of recovery and their belief that they were somehow being overlooked .
The Scottish Government has acknowledged DCRs are not a ‘ silver bullet ’ but must be part of a comprehensive package that includes harm reduction measures and recovery . Surely now , more than ever , is not the time for creating division but for recovery and harm reduction organisations to work together to provide this support . As the old saying goes – ‘ you can ’ t recover if you ’ re dead !’ Ellie Tobin , by email
SOCIAL CIRCLE
Thanks for the social work series and to the people who have been describing their jobs . It ’ s opened up some interesting discussion at work around our responses to trauma and made us actively strengthen our relationship with the social work team , which has given us a lot more scope for responding effectively to our clients . In turn , we have been able to offer a lot of knowledge on all kinds of health issues , particularly around stabilising through the right medication . It also reminded me that there are a lot of people involved in healthcare who should be talking to each other as well as the client ! Sue Baines , by email
For more on professional training , development and career opportunities visit addictionprofessionals . org . uk . Editor
PATHWAYS FROM PRISON
I am a life sentence prisoner on recall and had a drinking problem before I was recalled to prison . I am engaged in work with my prison ’ s drug and alcohol recovery services team and am growing in confidence . I am though , always on the lookout for more help and / or support .
Before my release in February 2017 I had served just shy of 22 years imprisonment . The main reason I am on recall is because I missed prison and the comforting security and strict routine that comes with it . To some this may sound very strange , but I am guessing that you understand exactly what I mean .
My mum mentioned to me something called ‘ Pathways from prison to community ’. I was wondering if you could tell me more about this group and how it works , and if I would be eligible for such support ? Name and prison address supplied
If anyone can offer advice or information , please get in touch and I will forward your message . Editor
DDN welcomes all your comments . Please email the editor , claire @ cjwellings . com , join any of the conversations on our Facebook page , or send letters to DDN , CJ Wellings Ltd , Romney House , School Road , Ashford , Kent TN27 0LT . Longer comments and letters may be edited for space or clarity .
/ ddnmagazine @ ddnmagazine www . drinkanddrugsnews . com
22 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • OCTOBER 2023 WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM