'Do what is right': MSPs urged to put party politics aside and back addiction recovery bill

MSPs are being urged to put party politics aside and back a bill that would give people diagnosed with a drug or alcohol addiction a legal right to treatment.

The Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill will go before MSPs on Thursday, but it is understood the legislation is not expected to pass at stage one. The bill, introduced by former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, seeks to give those diagnosed with drug or alcohol addiction a statutory right to receive treatment from a relevant professional.

However, it has not been backed by Holyrood's Health, Social Care and Sport Committee amid concerns it is not the correct "vehicle" to effectively support those suffering harm from addiction. Ahead of the debate, Mr Ross urged those with reservations to help the bill pass its first parliamentary hurdle with an aim to address any concerns further down the legislative process.

He said: "I am calling on all MSPs to put party politics aside, do what is right, and allow the right to recovery bill to move forward at its first stage. "For seven straight years, Scotland has been the drugs death capital of Europe.

Every grieving family knows that the current system is failing vulnerable Scots. "This bill could be game-changing.

It would enshrine in law the right of everyone to receive the treatment they need - a principle that I'm convinced every MSP backs." National Records of Scotland (NRS) data recently showed there were a total of 1,017 deaths due to drug misuse in 2024 - a decrease of 155 (13%) on the previous year. Despite the drop, Scotland remains the drugs death capital of Europe.

And while the UK's first safer drug consumption room opened in Glasgow in January, a Westminster committee last month said it should not be seen as a "silver bullet" to tackle the crisis. Recent NRS data also showed there were 1,185 alcohol specific deaths in 2024 - a decrease of 92 (7%) on the previous year.

The figure is the lowest level recorded since before the pandemic. However, Scotland continues to have the highest rate of alcohol specific deaths of any country in the UK.

Read more:Living beside the UK's first drug consumption roomDigger mobilised to clean up drugs den near The Thistle The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report said the bill would require "significant amendments" if it were to reach stage two. A proposed three-week statutory deadline in the bill raised concerns that it could compromise treatment quality, limit choice, increase relapse risk, and could lead to a rise in litigation in cases where health services are unable to meet the legal rights on time.

The costs of implementation set out in the financial memorandum were also said to be a "significant underestimate". Mr Ross, MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said his bill had been "drafted by people with lived experience of addiction and experts in the field".

He said consigning it "to the dustbin at stage one would be the height of complacency.