Image source, bbc

John McKenzie from Police Scotland says there is work in schools in terms of education and this must be assessed.

ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) have been dealt with in Scotland since 2004 says Mr McKenzie.

These are a significant risk factor for substance use disorders and can impact prevention efforts.

Mr McKenzie says agencies are working together on this issue.

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Lorna Holmes of Cyrenians says we are putting people in pain into systems that only work for a short period of time.

Ms Holmes adds trust is key, as these are people who have been let down all their lives and engaging with them for a short time only does not help.

Asked about mental health treatment, Dr Craig Sayers emphasises the need to plan a treatment journey with patients.

He points to adverse childhood experiences as an example which will require more than a matter of weeks to tackle.

Patients could walk out the door in a worse place than when they entered if these issues begin to be broached but the mental health issues are not properly treated, he warns.

Dharmacarini Kuladharini from the Scottish Recovery Consortium says people use drugs in prison because they are in pain.

Ms Kuladharini says people die when they leave prison because they are a population in movement.

She says more people die in this group because they are in pain.

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The SRC representative says: "We are not good at dealing with populations in distress, in movement."

Most of the women in Cornton Vale had extreme mental health issues, she says.

Suicide, depression and obesity are on the increase says Ms Kuladharini and she says "we need a paradigm shift".

SNP MSP Ivan McKee probes further on joining up services for offenders on release.

Dr Sayers says access to patients' GPs prior to release would really help, noting currently electronic records are not available and instead handwritten notes are used.

He welcomes the introduction of community facing units, stating he is hopeful that this will smooth the process.

Dr Carole Hunter from NHS Great Glasgow and Clyde says one major gap in patient records is when a substance was last consumed, which only pharmacists know.

Ten prisoners werer arrested at HMP Addiewell in connection with a major drugs investigation in December.

Police Scotland confirmed five other people have also been arrested as part of the probe.

Operation Hambo was launched following intelligence that drugs, in particular New Psychoactive Substances, were being distributed in the West Lothian prison.

As well the prison arrests, warrants were also executed at three addresses in Renfrew and Paisley.

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Dr Craig Sayers of the RCGP Secure Environment Group says methadone use can be extremely benefitial for patients.

Dr Sayers says raises concerns about prescription of gabapentinoids in prisons and intimidation of medical professionals there to continue them.

He says short term sentences are one of the greatest risks and he says he is glad they are reducing in number.

Ms Johnstone asks if the NHS taking responsibility of healthcare in prisons has made a difference.

There are pros and cons, says Dr Sayers.

Alison Johnstone moves onto prisons and deaths on release.

Dr Craig Sayers of the RCGP Secure Environment Group says the reason for high rates of drug related deaths on release is a loss of tolerance.

A patient's body can no longer handle the same amounts of drugs taken prior to detention, he says.

Brian Whittle asks about best practice.

Ms Kuladharini confirms some areas are doing really well but there is "no teeth" in requirements for other areas to follow suit.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone notes methadone is associated with low rates of sustained abstinence.

She wonders is alternatives are available.

Ms Kuladharini says there needs to be consideration of different tools to alter policy.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell confirmed last November there would be a new strategy outlining a combined approach to alcohol and drugs.

This new strategy is expected in spring 2018 and seeks to recognise the shared underlying causes and treatments.

Ms Campbell said: "Treatment can no longer just be clinical, but must also address some of the deep rooted social and economic circumstances that people face.

"It is fundamental that we join the dots better and ensure addiction services address issues such as social isolation and stigma that remain major barriers to recovery."

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Dr Carole Hunter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde says there is a lot of untapped potential within the pharmacy profession.

Dr Hunter says the pharmacy has the most contact with this group of people.

She says this role should be looked at.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle asks about patients being parked on methadone.

Dharmacarini Kuladharini of the Scottish Recovery Consortium suggests there is significant stigma around methadone.

She adds that best practice around methadone is to ask patients when they will aim to come off.

Methadone is an incredibly useful tool, she adds, as long as it is part of a wider programme of recovery.

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Committee convener Lewis Macdonald introduces

• Lorna Holmes of Cyrenians, external
• John McKenzie from Police Scotland, external
• Dharmacarini Kuladharini of the Scottish Recovery Consortium, external
• Fiona Moss from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, external
• Dr Carole Hunter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, external
• Dr Craig Sayers of the RCGP Secure Environment Group, external

View submissions to the committee here., external

SNP MSP Sandra White highlights a suggestion that new psychoactive substances should be included in the drugs strategy.

She also notes female drug users tend to be treated differently to men, with women less likely to get into rehab and few women-and-children rehab centres available.

Convener Lewis Macdonald notes former convener Neil Findlay will provide a written submission describing his visit to a local service.

MSPs detail concerns learned from their visits in the community, including homelessness, pharmaceutical scripts, delays in getting appointments with GPs and the stigma associated with drug use.

SNP MSP Emma Harper indicates there was some support for the decriminialisation of drugs.

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Green MSP Alison Johnstone says she and Miles Briggs attended the Spittle centre in Edinburgh and heard from young people how important peer support was to the.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle says he visited Addaction and heard concerns about "being parked in methadone".

This could lead to every day being "like groundhog day".

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The committee is taking evidence from:

• Lorna Holmes of Cyrenians, external
• John McKenzie from Police Scotland, external
• Dharmacarini Kuladharini of the Scottish Recovery Consortium, external
• Fiona Moss from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, external
• Dr Carole Hunter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, external
• Dr Craig Sayers of the RCGP Secure Environment Group, external

View submissions to the committee here., external

Image source, bbc

The committee first considers the National Health Service Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2017.

New Health Commmittee convener Lewis Macdonald confirms it includes a drafting error and the committee makes no recommendations.

Today the main focus of the committee will be on substance misuse and the preventative agenda.

First it will consider some sub leg on the NHS superannuation scheme.

After that, members will provide some feedback on recent visits within their constituencies on substance misuse.

Image source, Science Photo Library

And then we get to the first roundtable with:

• Lorna Holmes of Cyrenians, external
• John McKenzie from Police Scotland, external
• Dharmacarini Kuladharini of the Scottish Recovery Consortium, external
• Fiona Moss from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, external
• Dr Carole Hunter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, external
• Dr Craig Sayers of the RCGP Secure Environment Group, external

The second roundtable includes:

• Dr Adam Brodie of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, external
• Teresa Medhurst from the Scottish Prison Service, external
• Emma Crawshaw from Crew 2000 Scotland, external
• Andrew Horne of Addaction Scotland, external
• David Liddell from Scottish Drugs Forum, external

Here are the submissions to the committee., external

Welcome to Holyrood Live today, Tuesday 30 January.

This morning, the Health and Sport Committee takes evidence on substance abuse and the preventative agenda from a broad range of witnesses.

Image source, Science Photo Library

After topical questions in the afternoon, the Gender Representation on Public Boards Bill is debate at its final stage.

Finally there will be a members’ debate on St Andrew’s First Aid, led by Labour MSP Johann Lamont.

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