Labour MSP Monica Lennon begins by saying she wishes we did not have to have this debate.

Ms Lennon says: "Every life lost to drugs and alcohol is a devastating tragedy."

In response to announcements about taskforces, summits and strategies, people keep warning MSPs people keep dying, she says.

"i am not ashamed to admit I feel frightened and overwhelmed by the scale of this drug emergency."

"The blame game must end today."

Mr Briggs calls for wraparound care to be embedded in services.

We need more funding for third sector mental health services, he says, explaining there is not enough capacity in the NHS alone.

We need action that saves lives now the Tory MSP states.

Mr Briggs says this will take "real leadership".

Actions

The Scottish government says it is preventing and reducing both alcohol and drug-related harm by:

• investing a further £20m over two years through the Programme for Government 2019-2020, external to tackle illicit drugs, reduce harm and stop the rising number of drug deaths, external
• delivering the actions set out in Rights, Respect and Recovery, our alcohol and drug treatment strategy, external
• working with partners to produce an action plan, external to deliver on the commitments made in Rights, Respect and Recovery
• taking forward the 20 key measures, external in our Alcohol Framework 2018, external which sets out our national prevention aims
• evaluating minimum unit pricing, external, introduced in 2018
• working to reduce the number of people with problem drug use in Scotland through drugs education and prevention, external activity
• convening the Drug Deaths Taskforce, external to tackle the rising number of drug deaths in Scotland
• working to prevent drug-related deaths through our national provision of naloxone, external
• continuing to ensure the effective delivery of alcohol brief interventions, external(ABIs) by providing national guidance on the local delivery plan standard for ABIs, external
• produced guidance for healthcare professionals on changes to drug driving laws, external
• investing £34 million through our Local Improvement Fund, external to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships
• investing over £1.4 million in ten third sector projects though our National Development Project Fund, external to reduce problem drug and alcohol use
• investing over £1.3 million through the Substance Use Challenge Fund, external, administered by the Corra Foundation, external, which will support activities that tackle problem alcohol and drug use
• facilitating the delivery of high-quality alcohol and drug interventions, treatment and support services at a local level by working in partnership with a variety of stakeholders, external

Image source, Getty Images

The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland soared to 1,187 last year, according to official statistics.

The figure is 27% higher than the previous year, and the highest since records began in 1996.

It means there were more drug-related deaths in Scotland last year than the1,136 alcohol-specific deaths, external.

And the country's drug death rate is now nearly three times that of the UK as a whole, and is higher than that reported for any other EU country.

Read more here.

Scotland's drug and alcohol partnerships have been underfunded for years and they are the Cinderella service says Mr Briggs.

The Tory MSP insists: "Vital third sector services are closing as we speak."

He says drug support services must be properly funded and calls for £15.4m to properly fund rehab beds across Scotland.

This is needed because the number of rehab beds has been slashed recently, adds Mr Briggs.

Tory MSP Miles Briggs says last year 1,187 people died due to drugs and he says "Scotland is facing a drugs death emergency".

Mr Briggs welcomes the creation of the drugs taskforce but insists there has been an escalation of Scotland's drug deaths crisis and he calls for a new radical approach.

He calls for a root and branch review of rehab services and proposes a new drug rehab bed fund.

On drugs, Mr Fitzpatrick says the taskforce on drugs deaths is continuing its work but he points to yesterday's announcement regarding a naloxone pilot following overdose.

The taskforce is producing a set of national standards on the delivery of medication-assisted treatment such as methadone, he highlights

Another focus is recognition that more can be done via the justice system because drug users need care and support out of the isolation they often feel, he adds.

The public health minister says the strategy asks services to reflect on the people using an eight-point action plan.

We remain committed to ensure recovery remains at the heart of our actions, he says.

Mr Fitzpatrick says we have previously focused too much on the substances rather than the individual.

We must ensure our approach is more person-centred going forward, he adds.

Tackling poverty and inequality is central to reducing harmful use of drugs and alcohol, as is reducing adverse childhood experiences he says.

The minister points to progress on reducing consumption of alcohol due to the minimum unit price.

He confirms he will continue to press the UK government to act on the advertising of alcohol, including restrictions in cinemas.

We will also seek to address marketing-related aspects within our devolved powers, he adds.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick begins his speech by citing two key government strategies:

• Rights, respect and recovery, external: alcohol and drug treatment strategy
• Alcohol Framework 2018, external

A year on there is much to celebrate he says, but he accepts there is much to do.

The minister tells the chamber reducing harms and deaths is one of the most difficult challenges we face.

Levels of alcohol harms and deaths are too high with an average of 22 each week, he says.

The public health minister says the situation with drugs is even more stark with 2018 seeing the highest ever level of drug deaths in 2018.

Image source, bbc

The Scottish government will now lead a debate on how to prevent and reduce the harms associated with drugs and alcohol.

Image source, Thinkstock

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says it is disappointing that the government will refuse to cooperate unless the UK government agrees to hold another independence referendum, and urges the minister to "remove the referendum boulder."

Mr Russell says this is misrepresenting that statement and he insists his proposals are to put in place a structure to move forward.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone asks if Mr Russell's "wholly reasonable" requests are ignored, how can we protect Scotland's public services from a trade deal with President Trump.

Mike Russell says we will continue to speak up for our NHS but this will be difficult unless the UK government puts in place a structure and is willing to be bound by it.

Mr Russell welcomes Mr Rowley's commitment to seeing Scotland treated as equals in the Brexit process.

However he says the sovereign right of the Scottish people to choose its own people is not a light switch to switch on and off, it is an absolute.

"We must put an end to this uncertainty."

That can be guaranteed this year with a referendum for which we have a mandate, the Brexit secretary adds.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Alex Rowley says his party will continue to support the Scottish government's efforts to be at the table as equals in order to minimise the impact of Brexit on Scotland.

However he thinks the cabinet secretary "confuses the issues with his obsession with independence".

He insists there cannot be a referendum anytime soon, despite his acknowledgement of the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine its own future.

Why would the cabinet secretary want to create more constitutional chaos on top of Brexit, he asks, also enquiring why the minister is ignoring the majority of Scots who don't want indyref2 in 2020.

Mr Russell says the only veto being exercised or which exists is that of the UK government.

The minsters argues he has laid out very clearly a way for the two government's to work together and suggests Mr Cameron has misrepresented this.

Anyone who refuses to accept Scotland has a right to choose its own future is refusing democracy, he adds.

We will continue to work with the UK government to try get the best for Scotland, the Brexit secretary insists.

Tory MSP Donald Cameron says if Mr Russell accepts the UK government's mandate for Brexit, as a matter of logic he must also therefore accept the UK government's mandate for rejecting another independence referendum.

Mr Cameron says there is nothing new in the cabinet secretary's statement and there is just more grievance and grandstanding in a week when the Scottish government has excelled in those practices.

Mr Cameron says it seems incredible that the Scottish government will not engage unless its demand for indyref2 is granted.

Is he comfortable with such a veto when the livelihood of those living in Scotland is at stake, he asks.