Scottish Drugs Forum

06/10/2026

Naloxone saves lives by temporarily reversing the effects of an opioid overdose and giving someone time to receive emergency help.

Across Scotland, people who use drugs, families, workers and communities are already carrying naloxone and using it to prevent deaths.

We want to see a renewed and sustained national commitment to naloxone.

That means expanding its reach, removing barriers, strengthening community distribution and embedding provision fully across justice, housing and emergency services.

The evidence is clear. Everyone likely to witness an overdose should be able to access naloxone and feel confident using it.

Find out more and take our free online course: https://buff.ly/QWVwJMB

05/10/2026

Harm reduction must respond to how people are using drugs.

Scotland’s stimulant landscape is changing, but current legislation prevents services from supplying pipes and other safer inhalation equipment.

These are simple but effective harm reduction tools that can reduce immediate risks and create opportunities for people to engage with services and wider support.

We want to see harm reduction expanded, accelerated and protected. That includes legal access to safer inhalation equipment.

Hear about the difference this could make, and why it is not currently available in Scotland, in our podcast: https://buff.ly/hMcNgKa

02/10/2026

As part of our annual Stop The Deaths initiative, we are calling for Scotland to follow the evidence.

Our latest peer-led research report, ‘Experiences of MAT Standards Implementation for People Who Use Co***ne and Crack’, makes recommendations to inform service improvement and strengthen the implementation of the MAT Standards for people who use stimulants.

As Scotland’s drug landscape changes, treatment and support must change with it.

That means listening to people’s experiences, understanding what the evidence tells us and putting that knowledge into action.

Read the report: https://buff.ly/zdtVrtq

01/10/2026

The opening of The Thistle was an important step forward for Scotland, but people should not have to we want to see a national network of multi-model safer drug consumption facilities across the country.

These facilities should be available wherever people are using substances outdoors or in unsafe locations.

If Scotland is serious about preventing drug-related deaths, one facility must be the starting point, not the final destination.

Read SDF View On safer drug consumption facilities: https://buff.ly/q78NKEM

30/09/2026

Ruth Dreifuss, former President of the Swiss Confederation and founder of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, recently visited The Thistle during her time in Glasgow for our Stop The Deaths conference.

In a new interview with Holyrood magazine, she discusses the importance of a public health approach in Scotland and why criminalising people who use drugs is not the answer.

Read the full interview with Kirsteen Paterson:

Touring The Thistle, Scotland’s safer drug consumption room, Switzerland’s former president talks to Holyrood about her ...

30/09/2026

💻 SCOTLAND WIDE ONLINE TRAINING 💻

Looking to build your knowledge and skills? We have two training courses coming up in October.

Both courses are delivered online and are open to people across Scotland.

Register now at https://buff.ly/zjpbEhx

29/09/2026

🎉 We’re delighted to announce that Linda Malloch, our Assessment and Development Supervisor at SDF, as part of our SVQ Centre, has been nominated for the 'Qualifications Scotland Champion' at this year’s Qualifications Scotland awards.

We’re incredibly proud to see Linda’s commitment to supporting learners and helping people achieve their qualifications recognised in this way.

Good luck Linda!

Find the full list of finalists: info.qualifications.gov.scot/ExcellenceAwards

🎉 We're delighted to reveal our 'Qualifications Scotland Champion' Excellence Awards finalists! Congratulations to:

🌟 Alan Deans, Glasgow Veterans Group
🌟 Karen Bale, Glasgow Clyde College
🌟 Linda Malloch, Scottish Drugs Forum SVQ Centre

Alan, Karen and Linda have each shown amazing dedication in helping learners achieve their potential. 🙌

Find the full list of finalists: info.qualifications.gov.scot/ExcellenceAwards

27/09/2026

We want Scottish Government to lead with courage, evidence and compassion by expanding and mainstreaming harm reduction.

That means investing in approaches that are proven to save lives and ensuring they are available wherever people need them.

It also means being prepared to challenge the limitations of outdated legislation and finding every possible way to protect life and reduce harm now.

Harm reduction cannot remain an optional add-on. It must be fully resourced, embedded, sustained and strengthened across Scotland.

Read Scottish Drugs Forum’s 2026 Scottish Parliament election manifesto: https://buff.ly/FozVoiD

23/09/2026

Today, our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one 🩷

The fact that nitazenes were implicated in one in five drug-related deaths is a stark indication of the changing risks and underlines the need to act quickly to expand the support and services that can help people reduce harm.

But it is too simplistic to say that 1,133 people died because of a contaminated drug supply alone.

Drug-related deaths do not happen in isolation. They are shaped by a complex combination of factors, including poverty, trauma, deprivation, housing insecurity and health inequalities.

Read why we believe that to truly address this public health emergency, Scotland must stop treating drug-related deaths as inevitable and look at the wider circumstances that leave people at greater risk of harm. https://buff.ly/pThWow8

21/09/2026

🎥 The conference presentation videos are now available to watch on our YouTube channel.

Watch the full playlist here: https://buff.ly/8DOus7x

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world