Graham Simpson has claimed the “war on drugs is being lost badly” with shocking new figures on drug-related hospital admissions.
Latest statistics published on the NHS Information Services Division (ISD), have revealed NHS Lanarkshire saw 188 drug-related acute stays in 2017/18 per 100,000 population; the health board also had the third highest drug-related new patient rates in the country.
Mr Simpson, a Central Scotland MSP, said: “Clearly the police need more help in tackling the drug dealers who ruin our communities, and more help needs to be provided to users themselves – most of whom want to be off drugs altogether.
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“The Scottish Conservatives say the record number of cases show the SNP government need to develop a new drugs strategy.”
He added that thousands of vulnerable people have been “let down” and communities have been “savaged” by the scourge of drugs.
