DRUG deaths are Scotland’s national shame.

Far too many families have suffered the loss of a loved one to the scourge of drugs. Indeed, 1330 families suffered that tragedy in 2021, including more than 300 families in Glasgow.

Sadly, I have first-hand experience of this myself.

That is why one of my top priorities as a councillor in this city is to put forward measures to tackle this crisis before it spirals even further out of control.

Last week, I was proud to bring forward a motion to full council, in conjunction with other political parties, to highlight a number of ways in which we can give support to those who need it most.

The cornerstone of this is the Scottish Conservatives’ proposals for a Right to Recovery Bill, which has been brought forward at Parliament by party leader Douglas Ross.

That would guarantee a right to treatment for everyone who needs it and has been written in conjunction with frontline experts, such as Faces and Voices of Recovery (Favor).

The backdrop to my motion at council was Favor’s report, one year on from when Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Ross visited the Bluevale Community Centre to speak with its team and users.

They are rightly angry in feeling that, since then, the crisis has been forgotten by politicians, but I was determined to use this council meeting to show that wasn’t the case.

Not only did the SNP back the aspiration of Douglas Ross’s legislation, but we also found agreement surrounding the use of safe consumption facilities and the role the council has in supporting Favor and other organisations.

I was delighted that my motion passed with cross-party support and it shows what can be done if we work together and put our differences aside to prioritise our most vulnerable.

We cannot keep talking while people keep dying in Glasgow and across Scotland. Our eye cannot be off the ball any longer.

The onus is on everyone in Holyrood to show the same spirit and urgently ensure that the Right to Recovery Bill becomes law as soon as possible.