Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (Scottish Families) is attending the UK Drugs Summit in Glasgow on 27 February, along with a number of family members and representatives. This includes family representation from the national Drug Deaths Taskforce, and our partner organisations Adfam and Drugfam in England.
Justina Murray, CEO, said:
‘The UK Drug Summit in Glasgow provides a real opportunity to highlight the vital role of families affected by drugs in preserving and saving lives, as well as the need for better support for those who have lost a loved one. Families are so often hidden from view, and we welcome this opportunity to bring family voices to the table.’
In Scotland, family members have identified 5 immediate actions to reduce the risk of drug-related harm and death. These do not all require additional financial investment but they do need a change in attitudes and joint working.
These 5 immediate actions form a Scottish Families’ Call to Action:
- An end to the postcode lottery in treatment and care services, to ensure equality of access. This includes equal access across Scotland to drop-in services, same day prescribing, and choice.
- Immediate removal of all barriers to treatment and care for all services receiving public funds (including treatment services and community pharmacies).
- Immediate introduction of a presumption of family involvement by treatment and care services. Families are routinely excluded by a wide range of services when they are trying to support their loved one, and when they are trying to keep them alive.
- All workers coming into contact with individuals at risk of overdose should carry naloxone and be trained in its use.
- A national anti-stigma programme to challenge and change stigma towards those using drugs and their families.
This call to action was developed by the Scottish Families’ Family Reference Group, a group of family members from across Scotland (from the Borders to the Highlands) which has been established to inform the work of the national Drug Deaths Taskforce.
About Scottish Families
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a national charity which supports anyone concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use in Scotland. We give information and advice to many people and help them with confidence, communication, general wellbeing, and we link them into local support. We also help people recognise and understand the importance of looking after themselves.
The 5 immediate actions in full:
- An end to the postcode lottery in treatment and care services, to ensure equality of access.
- This includes equal access across Scotland to drop-in services, same day prescribing, and choice (including different opiate substitution therapy options, and the availability of residential rehabilitation).
- Each of these evidence-based approaches are available in some areas of Scotland, but not others.
- Immediate removal of all barriers to treatment and care for all services receiving public funds (including treatment services and community pharmacies). This includes:
- Immediate banning of punitive sanctions regimes (including withdrawal of medication for missing appointments, which families consider is a breach of human rights);
- Immediate introduction of same day, flexible drop-in options as well as scheduled appointments to ensure person-centred choice;
- Mandatory training for all staff on drug awareness, stigma and trauma informed practice;
- Immediate removal to other duties of any staff member who does not offer a humane and compassionate service based on kindness, respect and dignity.
- Immediate introduction of a presumption of family involvement by treatment and care services. This means that family inclusive practice becomes an ‘opt out’ option not an ‘opt in’ option (defining ‘family’ in its broadest sense as ‘who matters to you?’). This is in line with the existing Quality Principle 8 (‘Services should be family inclusive as part of their practice’) introduced in 2014, and new commitments in Rights, Respect and Recovery (‘Ensure family members … where appropriate, will be included in their loved ones’ treatment and support’) introduced in 2018. Families are routinely excluded by a wide range of services when they were trying to support their loved one, and when they were trying to keep them alive.
- Families consider Naloxone to be a critical part of saving lives, and many have personal experience of their loved one’s life being saved through the administration of naloxone. All workers coming into contact with individuals at risk of overdose should carry naloxone and be trained in its use. This includes police, fire, ambulance, prisons, housing/ homelessness, primary care and pharmacy services, as well as substance use services. Other groups such as taxi drivers and street pastors have also shown an interest in carrying naloxone and this should be pursued. The new nasal spray form of naloxone should be promoted and easily accessed to increase availability and use by families and others. Existing commitments made in the national naloxone programme must be delivered, and barriers to implementation addressed. Any postcode lottery in naloxone provision must be removed.
- A national anti-stigma programme to challenge and change stigma towards those using drugs and their families. Families have many examples of stigmatising language, attitudes and behaviours by services, by colleagues (including those working in services such as health and education) and by their wider community. The evidence suggests that stigma is reduced through encouraging and supporting social contact and connection within and between different communities.