IT IS SAD and depressing we continue to see problems with drugs and drug-related deaths in East Lothian and right across Scotland.

A report published by the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce last week stated that, every day in Scotland, three people suffered a drug-related death. It said: “Each death is a personal tragedy for them, their friends and families, and their communities. And every one of them is preventable.”

The Scottish Government has, unfortunately, failed to tackle the drugs crisis in Scotland, with our nation having the highest prevalence of drug-users and drug deaths in Europe.

The report says that “many failures” persist in the Scottish Government’s response.

Recently, my colleague Douglas Ross urged the Scottish Government to give its backing to his landmark bill to tackle Scotland’s drugs-death epidemic after earning the right to bring it before Parliament.

The Right to Recovery Bill will be debated by MSPs after clearing its final hurdle by attracting the support of 33 members, including Labour MSPs Monica Lennon and Jackie Baillie. The legislation would enshrine in law the right of everyone to receive the potentially life-saving treatment and support they need, including, where appropriate, residential rehabilitation.

We are now calling on SNP and Green MSPs to get behind Right to Recovery, which was drafted in consultation with experts in the field of drug and alcohol addiction, including the charity FAVOR Scotland. It was also supported by 77 per cent of respondents during its consultation period.

It is essential that we support Douglas Ross to get the bill on the statute book in the next Parliamentary session to begin the fightback against the “national tragedy” of Scotland having by far the worst drugs-death rate in Europe.