The Scottish Parliament has rejected a much-debated bill that would have granted people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction a legal right to timely treatment, sparking fierce reactions from politicians, campaigners, and the public. The Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, introduced by former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, was defeated on October 9, 2025, by a narrow margin of 63 votes to 52 at its first parliamentary hurdle. The outcome has reignited Scotland's ongoing struggle with substance misuse and prompted renewed scrutiny of the government's approach to a crisis that has made the nation the drug death capital of Europe for seven consecutive years.
The bill aimed to enshrine in law the right for anyone diagnosed with drug or alcohol addiction to receive treatment within three weeks. This could have included options such as residential rehabilitation, community-based programs, detoxification, substitute prescriptions, or any other intervention recommended by a health professional. Importantly, the legislation would have allowed those diagnosed to actively participate in decisions about their own treatment, a move supporters said would empower patients and save lives.
Ross, who has long campaigned on the issue, made an impassioned plea in the Holyrood chamber: "Surely the fundamental thing is to save lives. And we have that opportunity to do that today." He described the defeat as a "dark day" for Holyrood and accused the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Greens of "shamefully abandoning" some of the country’s most vulnerable people. "Our country is the drugs deaths capital of Europe and has a huge problem with alcohol fatalities too, yet SNP and Green politicians have shamefully abandoned some of our most vulnerable people by failing to back a bill that would have been a game-changer," Ross said, according to the Scottish Daily Express.
The vote fell largely along party lines. The Scottish Government and the Greens opposed the bill, citing concerns that it could overwhelm already stretched services and introduce significant legal, practical, and resource challenges. The health committee at Holyrood had previously recommended against the bill, stating it was not the "correct vehicle" to address Scotland's addiction crisis and would require substantial amendments to be workable. Committee convener Clare Haughey acknowledged high levels of dissatisfaction with current addiction services but warned that the bill’s requirement for a formal diagnosis could add to stigma and create barriers to recovery. She also pointed to the risk of legal challenges over the right to treatment.
Drug and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd, whose own family has struggled with alcoholism, said the government supported the ambition behind the bill but could not back it as written. She explained: "It is clear from the evidence presented that the bill raises profound legal, practical and resource concerns that risk undermining service delivery, rather than enhancing it." Todd emphasized that recovery is not a one-size-fits-all journey, adding, "No one should be denied the treatment they need." She also signaled a willingness to work with Ross on the underlying issues, even as she confirmed the government's intention to vote against the motion.
Green MSP Maggie Chapman echoed the sentiment that, while the motivation behind the bill was admirable, its passage could have unintended negative consequences. She warned it might "do real harm" by failing to deliver on its aims and potentially exacerbating existing problems within the system.
Despite these objections, the bill found support among Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat MSPs. Jackie Baillie, Labour’s health spokeswoman, argued that a legal right to support is necessary amid persistently high drug deaths and what she described as a "postcode lottery" for treatment. She stated, "The SNP and Greens should be ashamed of voting against the law." Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton also expressed disappointment, saying, "This was the last opportunity in this session of Parliament to properly debate legislation that could play its part in stopping people dying from drugs and alcohol misuse. Too many people seeking help are still turned away, told to wait, or simply lost in the system."
Public support for the bill appeared strong. Annemarie Ward, chief executive of Faces and Voices of Recovery UK and a key campaigner who helped draft the legislation, was scathing in her criticism of those who voted it down. Speaking to the BBC and on social media, Ward said: "Today, Parliament had a chance to make history, and instead it chose to repeat it. By rejecting the Right to Recovery Bill, MSPs have turned their backs on 80% of public respondents who supported it, and on the thousands of families still burying their children while bureaucrats debate definitions." She added, "This vote protects a failed system, one that keeps people on medication for decades but can’t find a bed for those ready to get well. It’s a vote for the government funded quangos, not the communities."
Scotland’s drug and alcohol crisis remains severe. According to BBC News, the country recorded 1,017 drug misuse deaths in 2024—a decrease of 155 from the previous year, but still the highest rate in Europe. The first six months of 2025 saw 607 suspected drug deaths, slightly more than the same period in 2024. Alcohol deaths also remain high, though they fell in 2024 to 1,185, a 7% decrease from a 15-year record high in 2023.
In response to the crisis, the Scottish Government has introduced several measures, including the opening of the UK's first legal drug consumption room in Glasgow and increased use of Naloxone, a medication that can temporarily reverse opioid overdoses. The government has also set a target that 90% of people referred for help with problematic drug or alcohol use should receive specialist treatment within three weeks. Recent data shows that 94% of community-based referrals met this standard in the three months to June 2025.
Still, critics argue that these initiatives are not enough. Some organizations, such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems and Social Work Scotland, have raised concerns that the bill’s focus on those with a formal diagnosis could exclude many who need help and reinforce stigma. Others, like Annemarie Ward’s group, believe the current system is failing those most in need and that only bold legislative change can shift outcomes.
As the dust settles on the contentious vote, the debate over how best to tackle Scotland’s addiction crisis is far from over. The defeat of the Right to Addiction Recovery Bill has exposed deep divisions over the balance between ambition and practicality, legal rights and service capacity, and the role of politics in public health. For campaigners, families, and those struggling with addiction, the fight for change continues—albeit on a different front.
