Harley demands SNP meet drugs emergency with urgency required

Scottish Liberal Democrat Adam Harley has today urged the Scottish Government to use “the abundance of powers already at its disposal” to get on with the rollout of safer drug consumption rooms across the country, following new figures showing an 11% increase in the number of drug deaths.

1,113 people died from drugs in 2025.

Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see a Scotland-wide network of safer drugs consumption facilities, continually learning from the experience of The Thistle centre in Glasgow.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Harley said:

“We’re now five years into the national mission to tackle this and the crisis has taken a tragic turn for the worse. Each death preventable and each death heartbreaking.

“Liberal Democrats warned three years ago of the dangers posed by nitazenes entering Scotland’s drug supply.

“That is also why we have been calling for drug checking facilities, so people know what they’re taking.

“As the Chief Executive of the Scottish Drugs Forum said this morning, we can’t respond to a public health emergency without an emergency response.

“Does the Minister agree that this must include the rollout of safer drug consumption facilities across Scotland, not just in Glasgow, so that people at greatest risk have life-saving support and better access to other services, including rehabilitation, because we need to stop people dying?”

Speaking after the exchange, Adam said:

“The SNP should never have taken their eye off the ball here.

“While I appreciate that the rollout of more facilities like the Thistle may not happen overnight, the government have had more than a decade to do the work on this.

“Alongside drug checking services, consumption rooms and better access to rehabilitation services, are an essential part of the action needed to end this crisis.

“The Scottish Government must meet this emergency with the urgency it is crying out for. It has an abundance of powers, already at its disposal, to stop people dying, and it is time they made the very most of them to finally deliver the world-class drug services Scotland deserves.”