Shock new figures have revealed over 1,500 Scots babies have been born addicted to drugs. Symptoms for the tots include uncontrollable trembling, hyperactivity, blotchy skin and high pitch crying.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “These heartbreaking figures lay bare the damage being done by Scotland’s drug crisis. It is a scandal that so many newborn babies are being affected by this public health emergency before they are even born.”
Scotland has the highest drug deaths rate in Europe and the Record has led a long-running campaign for change. We have called for investment in services for drug users and decriminalisation of illegal substances for personal use.
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But John Swinney’s SNP Government has been accused of making a real terms cut to alcohol and drug harm prevention funding in the draft Budget.
New stats compiled by the Scottish Lib Dems show how far the country has to travel to end the misery felt by families, with at least 1,501 babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) since 2017. This is when there are signs of addiction because of a mother taking legal or illegal drugs during pregnancy.
The health boards reporting the most cases were NHS Lothian with 774, NHS Grampian with 209 and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with 221. NHS Ayrshire and Arran recorded 47 cases while the figures for the boards in Forth Valley and the Borders were 44 and 26.
More people die from substance abuse per head of population in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe. Last year, 1,172 Scots died from drugs – up 121 on the previous twelve months. There were just 244 deaths in 1996 when comparable records began.
The death rate from drugs in Scotland is 2.7 times as high as the rate for England and Northern Ireland, and 2.1 times as high as the rate in Wales.
Opiates and opioids such as heroin were connected to around 80% of the total number of deaths.
Drug consumption rooms are being introduced in Glasgow – and potentially in Dundee and Aberdeen – which will allow users to take illicit substances under the watchful eyes of health professionals.
Alex Cole Hamilton MSP
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “There is perhaps no worse start in life for a newborn baby than to be born dependent on drugs. The Scottish Government regularly make the headlines for their mishandling of drug deaths but in a host of other ways drug misuse can make lives a misery.
“Nicola Sturgeon cut the budget for drug and alcohol services and predictably this meant some services closing their doors and valuable expertise being lost. The current budget proposed by John Swinney risks making the same mistake again. I don’t want to see future generations still struggling with drug misuse. It’s time to turn the page and invest in local services which are best placed to intervene to stop lives from being lost and new lives starting dependent on substances.”
Baillie added: “Given the scale of this crisis, it beggars belief that the SNP government plans to cut funding for drug and alcohol services in its budget. The SNP must deliver fair funding for drug and alcohol services and ensure that those struggling with addiction can get the treatment they need, particularly during pregnancy.”
Tory MSP Annie Wells said: These figures lay bare just how detached the SNP Government are from the realities of drugs and substance abuse in our communities. John Swinney has been at the heart of a government whose shocking failures mean Scotland has the highest drug deaths rate in Europe, but it is clear the risks posed to babies of those who suffer with addiction have been overlooked.
“SNP ministers should show some common sense and finally back the Right to Recovery Bill to guarantee a right to treatment for those who need it which will be vital in protecting the health of future generations.”
SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “No newborn baby should be born dependent on substances and mothers should be able to get the help they need, free from judgement and stigma. Through our £250 million National Mission on drugs we are taking a wide range of evidence-based measures to reduce harm and save lives.
“We want every person experiencing harm from alcohol or drug use to be able access the support they need and record levels of funding have been protected in next year’s budget. We’ve maintained £112 million to local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships for treatment and support services and will continue to invest in residential rehabilitation.”
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