Aberlour's Families in Recovery Briefing

We must Keep The Promise for families in recovery to help reduce drugs harm for women and their children across Scotland.

Aberlour is calling for further  investment to expand and deliver  more dedicated residential and  community-based services for  women in recovery and their children, to help reduce drugs  harm, tackle the drugs deaths  crisis and help keep families  together.

Scotland has the highest rate of drug related deaths  in Europe with most recent statistics showing that  deaths recorded in 2023 were more than four times  higher than in 2000. More than a quarter of drugs  deaths in Scotland are women.

Scotland’s drugs crisis is underpinned both by the  impact of child poverty, with around 250,000  children growing up in poverty, and poor mental  health, which affects 1 in 5 new and expectant  mothers. Poverty is a key driver of drugs deaths with  those from the most deprived areas 15 times more  likely to die as a result of drugs. 

If we are committed to tackling drugs deaths,  then we must be relentless in our drive to combat poverty.

Read our latest briefing.