At First Minister’s Questions, Swinney expressed his “deepest sympathies” to all those who had lost a loved one as he cited “intergenerational poverty and trauma” and an “upsurge in grossly harmful synthetics” as reasons for the rise in deaths.
Afterwards, he told BBC Scotland News that his government was in favour of decriminalisation – meaning people would not face criminal punishment for having drugs for personal use.
He said the move could be part of a range of measures which would offer “more control and ability to provide greater support to those affected by drugs use”.
The Scottish government, under the leadership of Humza Yousaf, announced in 2023 that it supported decriminalising personal drug use. The UK government rejected the plan as dangerous.
The SNP included the policy in its 2024 manifesto, with the party pointing to the example of Portugal, which relaxed drugs laws in 2001, as a potential model.
Swinney said his administration’s current approach was “testing to the limits what we can do in Scotland”.
This has included setting up the UK’s first safer consumption facility in Glasgow – which allows drug users to inject heroin or cocaine while under medical supervision.
Ministers have also announced that the country’s first drugs-checking facility will soon open in the city.
