Commenting on today’s official figures for drug-related deaths in Scotland, Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle said:
“These figures make for grim reading. Within the stark numbers will be many human tragedies and curtailed lives.
“While the figures for the Highlands and the Western Isles are lower than the Scottish average, they remain significantly higher than the average for the rest of the UK. It’s sobering to think that people are twice as likely to die of a drug-related death in our communities than they are in a metropolis like London.
“Something has gone badly wrong and I very much hope that the Scottish Government will give serious consideration to Douglas Ross MSP’s Right to Recovery Bill, and provide the necessary support to people who are vulnerable.”