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Friday, 21 April 2006 08:54

BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk

Drug addicts are waiting too long

The SNP claimed yesterday that drug addicts are waiting too long to be assessed for treatment.

SNP Holyrood leader, Nicola Sturgeon, claimed that most addicts had to wait more than three weeks to be seen.

Out of the 7000 referred for treatment between last October and December 2005, 1000 will have to wait longer than six months for a referral and more than 400 will have to wait a year.

Nicola Sturgeon told First Minister's Questions yesterday: "Waiting times like this are unacceptable." She attacked the Executive's drug policies after MSPs debated a call from the Scottish Socialist Party to guarantee addicts treatment within one week.

Rosemary Byrne, the SSP's drugs spokeswoman also called for the health service to consider prescribing heroin rather than methadone to addicts.

It was included in a private Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Bill, which MSPs will consider soon.

First Minister Jack McConnell defended the Executive's drug policies.

He said: "We know the number of problem drug users is going down.

"This is still a huge problem in Scotland but we are tackling it.

"We are tackling supply and demand and that is the right approach”.

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