How easy is it for young people to get drugs this festival season?
10 July 2019
An increase in the rate of drug-related deaths in Scotland – now the highest in the EU – has led the Scottish government to appoint a drugs tsar in an effort to tackle the problem.
The alarming news inspired Mornings with Kaye Adams to ask listeners for their stories about Scotland’s drug problem. A number of younger callers gave very frank accounts of how prevalent drugs are in their lives.
‘Everyone has a route to drugs’
Molly phoned in to the programme and shared her reasons for using drugs.
“It’s at every party that you go to and it’s so much easier to get hold of than alcohol. Everyone has a route to it or knows someone who can get you some.
“People have it in school — and that’s not in a deprived area: that’s in a perfectly normal middle-class school.”
Testing drugs at festivals
The charity The Loop test festival-goers’ drugs to ensure they’re safe to take. Issues with the drugs can range from them being more potent than usual to their manufacture from harmful ingredients, including pesticide and concrete. (From 2017)
A mother’s plea for wider testing of festival drugs
'Just in case I never see you again'
Safety group to help people test drugs at festivals
A young person talks about their experience with drugs
Jade reflects honestly about her experience with drugs. (From 2014)
‘The Class A Student’
-
‘Drugs are now as common as alcohol’
University students say that drugs have become commonplace at UK universities. Tom Wright investigates just how commonplace buying in Class A drugs for a night out has become.
Help and support
Latest features from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scotland
-
'Wild swimming helps me process the grief of losing my son'
The benefits of cold water therapy.
-
Winter adventures are appealing, but an expert advises caution
Trips in winter require particular knowledge and skills.
-
The rescuers: Why volunteers risk their lives in mountain emergencies
Landward meets members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.
-
‘Look for the light’ – practical tips to help you through another winter with SAD
Useful advice and tips to combat low moods at this time of year.
-
How you could be a binge drinker without even knowing
Binge drinking is classed as fewer units than many people may realise.
-
How chocolate biscuits and drama classes helped one man leave prison behind
The healing power of creativity.
-
'When people believe in you, it’s life-changing'
Author Graeme Armstrong revisits the man who helped turn his life around.
-
The 'breath-taking' display of US birds swept on to British soil
Recent storms have brought rare birds to our shores.
-
Six things we learned about Alan Cumming on Take the Floor (Spoiler: includes accordions)
The actor spoke to Take the Floor's Gary Innes.
-
How street gangs trap young men in a dangerous cycle of violence
The almost inescapable pull of life in a gang.
-
Why stylist Gok Wan believes there's no such thing as bad fashion
The fashion expert says we should stop following rules and do what feels right.
-
Is sending a CV still the right way to apply for a job?
They've been central to job applications for years, but are they worth it?