TORY CALL FOR DRUG REHAB DIRECTORY

Scotland should have its own drugs rehabilitation directory to help
users and their families seek appropriate support, Conservatives have
said.

Scots Tory leader Annabel Goldie renewed her call for ministers to
produce a full list of the country's rehabilitation services, similar
to that available south of the border.

She said: "The Executive have produced some statistics, after
continued pressure from the Scottish Conservatives, that tell us it
thinks there are 306 drug services in Scotland.

"Therefore, there is now no reason why it cannot go down the English
route and create a directory of these places: where are they; how do
you contact them; are they all being used?

"We must also ask how robust this information is, considering that
when I recently raised the matter at First Minister's Questions, Jack
McConnell didn't have a clue."

There are currently more than 50,000 injecting drug users in Scotland
and in December Miss Goldie challenged Mr McConnell over the
continuing rise in methadone-prescribing for heroin addicts.

Mr McConnell agreed that more drug rehabilitation services should
encourage the abstinence-based approach favoured by Miss Goldie, but
insisted "harm reduction" methadone schemes also had a role to play.

However, the First Minister admitted that he could not say immediately
how many rehab places overall there were in Scotland.

Miss Goldie insisted every voluntary group offering support for people
trying to quit drugs must be recognised, adding: "There are many
excellent organisations who put in such effort to help those
desperately in need.

"The Executive needs to come forward now with policies that address
the dreadful current predicament we are in rather than pursuing their
management agenda."