Next phase of alcohol and drugs response
10 Mar 2026 10:56 AM
Joint long-term strategic plan launched.
A new plan to reduce deaths and harms caused by alcohol and drugs has been published.
The joint Scottish Government and COSLA plan aims to improve collaboration between government and grassroots delivery with a locally-led, accountable system, guided by clear national direction and support.
Backed by more than £160 million in 2026-27, the plan builds on the Scottish Government’s five-year National Mission on Drugs which ends in April.
A key priority is to expand treatment standards to include alcohol and all drugs. It has a renewed focus on prevention, with specific measures to stop people from developing problem alcohol and drug use. It also maintains support for residential rehabilitation with a focus on improving pathways through detox, crisis care and stabilisation.
The plan is underpinned by a human-rights based approach. This ensures that people with first-hand experience help shape the design and delivery of services and receive person-centred support
Speaking at the Haven residential rehabilitation service, which has received £600,000 for eight additional beds, Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd said:
"The last five years have seen record investment in alcohol and drugs services, with significant progress, but we want to do more. This plan marks the next phase in our response to tackling alcohol and drug harms.
"We are already widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone, and Glasgow hosts the UK's first Safer Drug Consumption Facility. As we respond to new challenges – including an increasingly toxic drugs supply – this plan refocuses our efforts in a more co-ordinated and sustainable way.
"As a joint Scottish Government and COSLA initiative, this plan will strengthen national and local partnership working so that people can receive the right help when and where they need it."
The plan is aimed at preventing initial harm and supporting long-term recovery and wellbeing and focuses on four interconnected areas:
- prevention and early intervention
- harm reduction
- treatment and care
- the wider circle of support.
Priorities include strengthening local delivery, supporting the voluntary sector and workforce and improving data, research and evidence.
COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly said:
“Far too many individuals and families continue to be affected by drugs and alcohol harms. We need to do everything we can to support people, which requires us to work across spheres of government.
“Bringing local and national government together for the first time in this way represents a step change in how we plan and deliver support for people affected by drugs and alcohol.
“Local government works closely with our communities, across a range of preventative services, and has strong local knowledge of the challenges our communities face.
“No single service can respond to the ongoing challenge of drugs and alcohol harms. It is only by working in partnership, investing sustainably in vital supports and through the co-ordinated efforts of the whole system, that we prevent issues before they arise and support people to sustain recovery.”
The Haven Chief Executive Gary Lister said:
“Through its holistic, recovery-focused programme, The Haven supports individuals to rebuild their lives, restore family relationships and move towards long-term recovery. The Scottish Government’s support for the current expansion of the facility — including eight additional residential beds and enhanced living spaces — will help ensure more people can access the safe, structured support they need to begin that journey.”
Background
Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan 2026 – 2035
The plan has been informed by significant engagement, including people and families with lived and living experience of alcohol and drug harms, service providers and commissioners, academics, clinicians and voluntary sector representatives.
This plan is a key component of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s broader public health ambitions:
- The Population Health Framework which seeks to address the wider determinants of health, increase life expectancy and reduce inequalities; and
- The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework which guides the transformation of health and social care services towards being more person-centred and community-based, and to harness digital technologies to improve access, efficiency, and outcomes.
National Mission achievements: Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan