Scotland’s growing drug and alcohol problem needs a coordinated effort across the whole public sector

Given Scotland’s problem with drugs and alcohol, a coordinated effort is needed to ensure services meet local needs and are delivered to consistent standards nationally.

An Audit Scotland report, Drug and alcohol services in Scotland, provides further evidence of Scotland’s growing problem with drug and alcohol misuse. Drug and alcohol-related death rates are among the highest in Europe and have doubled in the past 15 years. Alcohol misuse is an even bigger problem than drug misuse. Alcohol problems affect many more people and cause three times the number of deaths compared with drug misuse.

The impact is felt across the country and throughout local communities but deprived areas are worst affected. The Audit Scotland report says a coordinated effort is needed across the public sector to deliver services that meet the needs of people with misuse problems and of communities. The report says the Scottish Government needs to work with the NHS, councils and other partners to ensure all public bodies are clear about their collective responsibilities.

Last year the public sector in Scotland spent £173 million directly on drug and alcohol services for prevention, treatment and enforcement activities. The wider costs to society are estimated at £5 billion a year, including costs associated with drug and alcohol-related crime, hospital admissions, and workplace absences.

Many different agencies are involved in providing drug and alcohol services and funding for services is often complex. This makes it difficult to plan and provide appropriate services. Spending decisions are not always based on evidence of what works or is needed in a particular area.

Auditor General for Scotland, Robert Black, said:

“Drug and alcohol misuse is a significant and worsening problem in Scotland. The range of services for people in need of help can depend on where they live, and there is not enough information about the effectiveness of these services.

“The Scottish Government has published two new strategies in the past 12 months, and there is a lot of activity going on at a local level to address drug and alcohol problems. A coordinated effort is needed by all agencies involved to make sure people get the support and treatment they need and also to really find out which services work best in which circumstances.”

Chairman of the Accounts Commission for Scotland, John Baillie, said:

“Tackling drug and alcohol misuse accounts for large amounts of public money. It is very important that councils and their partners have a good understanding of what services they need to deliver and of the cost and impact of these.”