Holyrood Ministers call for drugs to be decriminalised

Scottish Government ministers have today called for the decriminalisation of all drugs for personal use.

Holyrood wants the UK Government to change reserved laws to allow people found in possession of drugs to be "treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded".

Legislative changes to allow the introduction of supervised drug consumption facilities are also part of the Scottish Government's proposals.

Drugs laws are reserved to Westminster. However, the Scottish Government has responsibility for health and social policies around drug consumption.

Other proposals from the Scottish Government include more substance checking services and increased access to emergency treatments for drug overdoses.

Scotland's Drugs Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: "We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society.

"While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives."