More to do to tackle drug problem, says Swinney as rehab centre opened

John Swinney has insisted his Government wants “to do more” to help those abusing drugs get the help they need.

The First Minister officially opened a residential rehabilitation centre in Aberdeenshire on Wednesday, which he said provides a “welcome” increase in places in the area.

The 27-bed Rae House facility in Alford is the first phase of a project run by Phoenix Futures.

A second phase is also planned, with 53 housing units where people can stay and then take part in “dayhab” services in central Aberdeen to help tackle drug and alcohol problems.

The opening of the centre comes after figures from Police Scotland showed suspected drug deaths in Scotland fell 11% during 2024, with 1,065 such fatalities recorded – down 132 from the 2023 total.

A separate report from December last year suggested the Scottish Government had met early its target of having 1,000 individuals in publicly-funded residential rehab each year by 2026 – with 1,033 starting such a placement in 2022-23.

But despite this, the First Minister said there is “much more to do” to tackle Scotland’s drug problem.

“We want every person experiencing harm from drug use to be able access the support they need,” he said.

“Residential rehabilitation is central to that and we have made £100 million available to improve access over the course of the Parliament.”

He added the investment of £11 million into Rae House will help “address geographic barriers” in getting help, providing “a welcome increase in residential rehabilitation capacity in Scotland, particularly for areas outside the central belt”.

Mr Swinney continued: “A recent report suggests we have achieved our aim of 1,000 people a year receiving public funding for their residential rehabilitation placement by March 2026, but we want to do more and our additional placement fund will support even more people to access rehabilitation.”

The fund allows services in areas of high demand access extra money.

The First Minister also said that while the latest figures showed a drop in suspected drug deaths, these “remain too high”.

He added: “There has been some encouraging progress, but we know there is much more to do and that is why, through our national mission on drugs, we’ll continue to invest in a wide range of evidence-based measures to save lives and reduce harms.”

Phoenix Futures chief executive Karen Biggs said it is “delighted” to open the rehab centre in Aberdeenshire, “bringing much-needed recovery support to the north-east”.

She added: “This service ensures people can access life-changing treatment closer to home.“Thanks to the Scottish Government’s innovative funding model, we’ve overcome financial and systemic barriers that previously limited access to residential rehab.

“By prioritising investment in recovery services, Scotland is setting a precedent for inclusive and effective addiction treatment. This facility will provide a safe, supportive space for people to rebuild their lives.

“We look forward to working with local communities and partners to make recovery accessible to all who need it.”