Scottish Government's drugs strategy will prove effective

It is true that addiction services are underfunded, and rehabilitation placements are limited, but in truth these are only a part of the answer, not the panacea as described. I would very much like to see the "proof" that Ms Ward has "consistently" presented to suggest that rehab is the only effective intervention to overcome addiction. A range of services and interventions already exist. Glasgow is to pioneer safe consumption rooms to allow drug users to use substances in a safe environment, all the while supported by a range of health and social care staff who will look to engage them in long-term treatment. This is a tried and tested initiative currently carried out in a number of European countries.

Also disparaged was the use of methadone - and now a range of opiate replacement therapies - where the oh-so-familiar opinions were rolled out: ridiculously suggesting this was simply to "subdue them". I would wonder what the drug death figures would read if such a programme did not exist.

Another astounding inaccuracy was to suggest that the use of naloxone was simply wrong. Highlighted was the case of a "young lad" who had been administered naloxone eight times in one week, giving the impression this was something that should never have happened. Should this not read that his life was saved on eight occasions? Would they be happier if this "young lad’s" name were added to the drug death statistics?

The piece also stated that the Recovery Bill would give addicts the right to residential rehab - this already exists, albeit, it should increase. As do "community rehab", "stabilisation centres" (the safe consumption rooms), community detox and harm reduction services, all of which are offered as treatment options to all service users.

I can also state with total confidence that "faith-based" services such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous have never been discouraged, if this is a treatment choice of the individual. It would cause concern however that "religious" rehab facilities have little to no medical support and have been known to offer misjudged guidance around already-prescribed medications.

In my 20-plus years as an addiction nurse specialist I refute narrow-sighted "facts" about addiction services that are stretched to the limit in tackling an ever-increasing problem.

Yes greater investment is needed, but if individuals who are misusing substances fully engage with services, commit to the effort to make lifestyle changes, the plethora of existing addiction supports in statutory and non-statutory levels will prove effective.

Mr McKenna should take his angst against the SNP in another direction.

John Bogie, Coatbridge.

Read more letters

• Why we have to legalise the drugs trade
• When will we Scots wake up to this energy folly?
• We must take long-term decisions to sort our public transport woes

Our future could yet be bleaker

DANI Garavelli ("Is SNP omnishambles a Doomsday cult-style mission to self-destruct?”, August 25) summarised the state of the Scottish National Party by describing it as a party "tugging at the cords", so hastening the fall of the curtain on its too-many years of government. Ms Garavelli is not alone.

Paul Stallan, director of Stallan-Brand, said that the Scottish Government is “failing to create an environment of hope, setting policies that are contradictory and limiting opportunity" in an article the previous day ("Leading architect: housing plans are disastrous", The Herald, August 24).

The SNP has never been a party focused on the betterment of Scotland. Rather, and this has been said before, it has always been a party for the SNP and for the winning of its core issue: independence. For the SNP, Scotland is simple the primary tool of its cause.

Alex Salmond summarised that: when the 2014 referendum was lost, he walked away. Later, he founded the Alba Party, with the same fundamental aim as the SNP. It is, according to its website, "the party that cares about Scotland’s independence". It does not say "the party that cares about the people of Scotland".

Perhaps worse, the SNP has never really had any plausible, workable answers to the problems facing modern Scotland. It is also arguable that, since the failure of the referendum, the SNP became even worse at governing under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon. Without independence the party is nothing. When the life force is lost, death must follow.

The long-term tragedy, and it can be nothing else, is that Scotland might have to die with it. If the country cannot be turned round over the next five years or so, the future could be even bleaker for everyone.

Albert Halliday, Newton Mearns.

Government wealth warning

THE "embassy" in Warsaw, courtesy of the SNP, appears to be on the cancellation list ("SNP halts ex-FM Sturgeon’s plan to open new Scots ‘embassy’ in Polish capital", August 25). In keeping with the definite lack of progress towards independence these embassies abroad, or even in London which the SNP must see as "abroad" too, are appearing to be less and less relevant.

Given Shona Robison's desperate search for savings these overseas enterprises look particularly vulnerable. Here is a government wealth warning. The SNP likes to ban items like cigarettes so will we see these "embassies" tipped?

Dr Gerald Edward, Glasgow.

No solutions to school problems

CHRIS Collins, in his hagiography of Professor Brian Boyd (Letters, August 25), unfortunately offers no solutions as to how to tackle the very serious issue of indiscipline in our schools. Neither Prof Boyd himself, nor your correspondent, seem able to suggest how to allow the vast majority of young people to learn in peace, how to prevent teachers leaving the profession due to verbal and physical abuse, nor how to restore meaningful consequences, for the small hard-core of individuals who disrupt learning on a daily basis.

Joe Kerr, Glasgow.

Rail fares move is sensible

THE decision by the Scottish Government to discontinue the pilot project removing peak-time rail fares is, of course, disappointing to those who benefited from the scheme. It has led to many scathing comments on social media such as that given in the letter (August 25) by Dennis Forbes Grattan in which he states that he really enjoys travelling by train but with the return of the peak ticket price he will be forced back into his car as the increase is totally unacceptable.

The evaluation from Transport Scotland clearly shows that the demand for rail services is inelastic and that the revenue lost from existing customers was not compensated for by the growth in usage from those attracted on to the trains following the fall in price. All too often, the Government is criticised for a lack of business acumen but surely this is what it is showing by stopping the pilot? No business would willingly reduce revenue in the face of rising customer numbers: why should the Government be any different, especially when its target modal shift was not being achieved?

There's much for which the Government can be rightly castigated because of poor financial management. This time, however, it should be congratulated for making an unpopular decision on commercial grounds.

Ken Macdonald, Linlithgow.

Why not go off-peak?

DENNIS Forbes Grattan describes himself as "travelling" rather than "commuting" by train and speaks of rail "travellers", not "commuters". This suggests he has some flexibility in when he makes journeys.

If so, why does he not keep the benefits of cheaper fares by travelling off-peak, rather than rushing back behind the steering wheel, which he appears all too keen to do?

Jane Ann Liston, St Andrews.

Higher peak-time rail fares are being reintroduced (Image: Newsquest)

Energy promise is just hot air

WIND farm operators in Scotland have been paid more than £205 million so far this year to turn off their turbines and have to date received £1 billion of constraint payments which increase UK electricity bills. The reason for these constraint payments was that the grid was unable to cope with the extra electricity on a windy day, and who wants electricity in the middle of the night?

This constraint payment farce will continue until a new transmission structure is put into place to supply England. So why did the Scottish Government not put a freeze on new wind farm planning applications until the transmission structure was in place? Simple, the SNP was and is financially and economically illiterate. Its frequent promises of cheap, reliable, renewable electricity from the 11,000 turbines scarring Scotland's landscapes were just mega-expensive SNP green hot air.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow.