Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill

The Salvation Army responds to the falling of the Right To Recovery Bill, which was this week rejected by a 63-52 vote in the Scottish Parliament.

"People who are dependent on alcohol or other drugs are often stigmatised and marginalised. They are treated quite differently to people needing other kinds of medical treatment, whilst experiencing extreme risks and actual harm to health. The Salvation Army believes there is a good case for creating a right to treatment and submitted written evidence in relation to the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill.

“Overall, we welcomed the desire to secure rapid access to treatment for people who are dependent on alcohol or other drugs whilst expressing some important concerns about language and emphasis. 

“We will continue to advocate for improved access to both harm reduction and abstinence-based interventions and encourage all political parties to place this issue high on their agenda for next year’s election.”