A drugs charity has exposed a “shocking” postcode lottery for addiction rehab services.
The report by Faces & Voices of Recovery Scotland (FAVOR) claims funding problems have created huge gaps in the treatment of addicts.
They found just 13 per cent of rehabilitation places were funded by the Scottish Government through alcohol and drug partnerships.
Many addicts were left to either struggle on with no treatment or turn to charity and church-based services.
Charity boss Annemarie Ward said: “This shows the shocking gaps in funding and provision of rehabilitation services across Scotland.
“A shameful postcode lottery exists where some people are able to quickly access the treatment while others wait years to be treated fairly.
“The postcode lottery is often worse in areas where drug deaths are most prevalent, particularly around Glasgow and Dundee.
“The Scottish Government has recognised the problem in their words but we do still need action to improve the situation on the ground.
“Despite the effectiveness of residential rehabilitation having been widely evidenced as a viable option, there seems to be reluctance from professionals and local authorities to put in place procedures that would allow service users direct access to residential rehabilitation.”
She continued: “We are pushing for a Right to Recovery Bill to ensure that everyone who needs treatment can get it. That should not be a controversial statement.”
In the damning report, the charity says: “Workers in some areas allegedly ‘scoff’ or ‘laugh’ at someone asking for funding, with workers forming opinions that ‘rehab doesn’t work anyway’.
“One female reported she had ‘begged for rehab’, only to be advised to attend a community recovery group to reduce her drug intake as a form of showing her commitment – this was despite advising she was placing herself at risk to earn money to pay for her addiction.”
Labour’s drugs policy spokeswoman Claire Baker said the report “laid bare the inequalities there are in access to treatment across Scotland and how families have been let down”.
