WIREDGOV

NHS Health Scotland yesterday published a framework to evaluate ‘Rights, Respect and Recovery’ – Scotland’s strategy to improve health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths. 

The Monitoring & Evaluation of Rights, Respect and Recovery (MERRR) framework was developed with partners including Scottish Government, Information Services Division, Health Protection Scotland, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, the third sector and people in our communities with lived experience. 

Grant Aitken, Public Health Intelligence Adviser, yesterday said:

“In 2018 there were 1,187 drug-related deaths in Scotland, the highest number ever recorded, and alcohol consumption remains a persistent and substantial cause of death and ill-health.  Addressing the harms from alcohol and drug use remains a significant public health challenge.  The MERRR framework will bring a systematic, intelligence-led approach to monitoring and evaluating how we do this in Scotland.

“The first preliminary report will be published in November 2020 and we plan to report every two years after that. We will also set up and work with advisory groups to identify where new indicators and/or evaluation might be required so that we have the most up to date information on progress in reducing harms from drugs and alcohol in Scotland.”

• Read the MERRR framework
• You can find out more about drug related harm at our webpages on drugs
• You can find out more about alcohol related harm at our webpages on alcohol