Former police chief to head Scotland's drugs death taskforce

A former chief constable has been named as the new head of Scotland's drugs death taskforce.

The appointment of David Strang follows the resignation last month of Prof Catriona Matheson.

Prof Matheson told BBC Scotland she quit as she was not prepared to do a "rushed job" on the final report.

Mr Strang, who is also a former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland, will take up his new position with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, the Scottish government confirmed the first step has been made towards the development of a new proposal on how a safer drug consumption room might work, within existing legislation.

Prof Matheson stepped down after it emerged the taskforce had been ordered to submit its conclusions six months early.

She said the Scottish government's request for all work to be completed by July this year came "out of the blue" and only a fortnight after the taskforce received appointment letters with a deadline of December.

The professor said she was "baffled" about the motivations behind the move and believed the taskforce's "evidence-based approach" was being "squeezed" by politics.

In response, Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said there was a need to move forward as quickly as possible.

Mr Strang is a former chief constable of the then Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and previously chaired the independent inquiry into mental health services in Tayside.

He said: "Every premature death as a result of drug use is a tragedy for individuals, their families and communities.

"The Drug Deaths Taskforce is making a significant contribution to improving Scotland's response to drug deaths and how they can be prevented.

"I am keen to enable the Taskforce to continue this important work."

Ms Constance said he will bring a "vast amount of experience" to the role.

She added: "This change in leadership marks a new chapter for what has been a valued contributor to work being done all across Scotland and I want to thank the former chair and vice-chair for the part they have played in shaping our collective response to reducing drug-related deaths.

"I have asked the Taskforce to accelerate its final recommendations planned for this year and I am aiming to get those in the summer."

Drug deaths in Scotland reached a record high of 1,339 in 2020 and early figures for last year suggest there was only a slight decrease.

It is by far the highest drug death rate recorded by any country in Europe and is more than three-and-a-half times that of England and Wales.

Scottish ministers previously said drug consumption rooms would help tackle drug-related deaths.

But they say they have run into "legal barriers" as the Misuse of Drugs Act is reserved to Westminster.

The Scottish government said it is now working closely with Police Scotland and the Crown Office, to examine how the new proposal by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership would operate and be policed.

Once this work is completed, a final proposal will be put to the Lord Advocate for consideration.

In response to the drugs emergency, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a five-year investment of £250m to improve recovery and addiction services.

The Scottish government recently introduced a Naloxone initiative - training emergency services to use an overdose reversal drug - as well as an anti-stigma publicity campaign.

There is also work to improve treatment standards for addiction across Scotland.

In a written response to the BBC interview, Ms Constance said she had made clear in January last year that the taskforce's work needed to be accelerated.

She said there was an urgent need to implement changes that would make a real and tangible difference to people's lives.