Calls for a right to recovery bill to be prioritised have been made as the latest drug death statistics are due to be published.

The figures for 2022 are due on Tuesday and regardless of how many people are shown to have died, there are demands for urgent action.

In 2021, 1330 people lost their lives in a drug death in Scotland and 311 in Glasgow, the highest ever in the city.

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Campaign groups and opposition politicians are urging the government to improve access to treatment for people to help them off drugs.

Campaign group Scottish Families said people are struggling to access the treatment, care and support their loved ones desperately need, adding they are blamed, and judged by others and their own rights as family members and carers are not recognised.

Justina Murray, CEO of Scottish Families, said: “Every year on this day, there is quite rightly an outpouring of sympathy and condolence for the families left behind.

“But the same families are not asked to take part in formal drug death reviews to share their insight into what has gone wrong and what needs to change.

“Families’ complaints about treatment services are ignored, and when they advocate for their loved ones, they are seen as awkward and interfering. Families want their rights as carers to be upheld; their expertise to be recognised; and for real change to happen.”

The Scottish Conservatives have adopted a bill by addiction advocacy charity, Favour UK, to give a legal right to treatment.

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Annemarie Ward, chief executive of Favor UK, said “As Scotland grapples with the heart-wrenching reality of a continuing rise in drug-related deaths, the long-overdue progress on the Right to Recovery Bill stands as a glaring scandal itself.

“The Scottish Government declared drug deaths an emergency situation in 2019, yet the delay in enacting substantial change to address this crisis has left thousands of lives tragically lost in vain.”

Meanwhile, Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said he hopes and expects a drop in drug deaths but that action was still needed.

He said: “One of the biggest issues facing those with addiction problems is accessing treatment.

 “That’s why the Right to Recovery Bill I’m taking through Parliament is crucial – as it would enshrine in law the right of everyone to receive the potentially life-saving treatment they need – and why it is backed by experts, charities and those with lived experience.

“Humza Yousaf made encouraging noises about supporting the bill during the SNP leadership election but has been quiet since. Worryingly, he appears to be advocating the decriminalisation of drugs instead.

 “We need the SNP to stop dithering and get full square behind the Right to Recovery Bill. Tackling Scotland’s drug deaths shame must finally be a top priority for Humza Yousaf and his government.”