The Scottish Greens are facing a political firestorm over their controversial proposal to allow NHS doctors to prescribe heroin to addicts, with critics branding the scheme as "dangerously reckless" and "morally bankrupt".
Radical Approach to Drug Crisis
Amid Scotland's devastating drug death crisis - the worst in Europe - the party argues that a radical new approach is necessary. Their proposal would see specialist medical professionals permitted to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade heroin to dependent users within a strictly controlled clinical environment.
Green health spokesperson Gillian Mackay MSP defended the policy, stating: "We cannot continue with failed approaches that have cost thousands of lives. A medically supervised heroin programme could save lives, reduce crime, and help people stabilise their lives."
Fierce Opposition and Concerns
However, the plans have triggered fierce opposition from across the political spectrum and from addiction specialists. Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr. Sandesh Gulhane condemned the proposal as "a surrender in the fight against drugs that will do nothing to help people recover."
Medical professionals have expressed serious concerns about the practical implementation and long-term consequences. Dr. Eleanor Robertson, an addiction specialist from Glasgow, warned: "While harm reduction has its place, normalising heroin use through NHS prescription risks sending mixed messages about the dangers of this destructive drug."
International Precedents
The Scottish Greens point to successful heroin-assisted treatment programmes in countries like Switzerland and Canada, where similar schemes have reportedly reduced overdose deaths and drug-related crime. However, opponents argue that Scotland's unique social and health challenges make direct comparisons unreliable.
Political Fallout and Public Reaction
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the Scottish government, which has faced ongoing criticism over its handling of the drug death emergency. Public reaction has been sharply divided, with some viewing the proposal as a progressive, evidence-based approach while others see it as an abandonment of recovery-focused drug policy.
As the debate intensifies, the Scottish Greens find themselves at the centre of a political storm that threatens to overshadow their broader environmental and social justice agenda, with the party's credibility on health matters now facing its toughest test yet.
