Drug Use In Scotland

May 23, 18

Drug Abuse, General

Misuse of drugs is a significant issue in Scotland which can lead to a variety of social and health problems. In July 2017 the Scottish Government announced a strategy refresh to respond to the changing nature of Scotland’s drug problem. To address the health and social harms experienced by people with a drug problem the Scottish Government and the Scottish Drugs Forum are developing a “Seek, Keep and Treat” framework (Scottish Drugs Forum).

In Scotland problem drug use is disproportionately high compared to England and other European countries. The most severe health harms are caused by prolonged use of opioids and benzodiazepines particularly among injecting users (Scottish Parliament).

In 2016/17 29.5% of adults of working age (16-59) in Scotland had tried drugs at least once in their lifetime, 8.5% reported use in the last year and 4.6% reported use in the last month (UK Drug Survey).

Many individuals and families face a host of difficulties closely associated with problem drinking and drug use. These problems quite often spill over into the workplace. By encouraging and supporting treatment, employers can dramatically assist in reducing the negative impact of alcoholism and addiction in the workplace.

Randox Testing Services

Randox Testing Services offer a complete drugs and alcohol testing service tailored to our client’s requirements. We have state-of-the-art, dedicated laboratory where we perform a wide variety of tests ranging from alcohol and commonly abused drugs to more unusual substances. An effective screen will test for alcohol and multiple drugs which includes, amphetamine, methamphetamine, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, cannabinoids, cocaine, methadone, opiates, phencyclidine and ecstasy. This test menu can be modified to suit companies screening policy or testing requirements.

We follow strict chain of custody procedures in order to maintain the integrity, confidentiality and traceability of employee samples. We are fully compliant with the guidelines set out by the European Workplace Drug Testing Society and all tests are aligned to their established cut off values. Our services include sample collection, qualitative and quantitative analysis, point of care drug testing kits, policy consultancy, expert witness, medical review, awareness and collector training.

Randox Testing Services has extensive experience working with various organisations conducting drug and alcohol testing in the maritime, aviation, construction, transport, rail, oil and gas, recruitment, retail and manufacturing industries.

For an overview of some of the key facts about drug use in Scotland click here to view our new downloadable poster.