The dark side of Scotland's 'town of the year'
How a cluster of drug deaths in Oban has shocked a community.
Scotland has a serious problem with illegal drug use. For several years now the nation has recorded by far the highest drug death rates in Europe. The crisis reaches far beyond the main population centres in the country. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News has uncovered evidence of a cluster of drug deaths in the small town of Oban on the west coast. It was recently named Scotland's town of the year by an organisation which promotes smaller communities. The Scottish government's response has largely focused on the big cities — for example by opening a facility for the safer consumption of illegal drugs in Glasgow. But have rural areas been forgotten about?
In this episode of our 5 Minutes On podcast, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Scotland Editor, James Cook, has spoken to the relatives in Oban demanding action.
(Image credit: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ)