With Scotland’s opioid crisis seldom out of the headlines it’s easy to overlook the significant – and growing – problem of cocaine. A recent Change Grow Live conference explored the best approaches to tackling this worsening public health problem, says Simon Holmes.
With drug-related deaths and the social impact of substances still a pressing concern across Scotland, the time has never been better for the sector to come together to share its knowledge and expertise.
At Change Grow Live we’re proud to have joined forces with Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership (EADP) to hold our first conference on the issue of crack cocaine and cocaine use across Scotland. By bringing together voices from the sector and beyond, we aim to begin an ongoing dialogue about the future of drug and alcohol support in Scotland.
In May of this year, the two organisations held our inaugural conference on the topic of cocaine and crack cocaine use. This event saw more than 120 individuals from the Scottish Parliament, NHS, councils and non-profit sectors gather to discuss how we can reduce the harmful effects of crack cocaine and cocaine use in Scotland.
INCREASING NUMBERS
In 2021, the Glasgow-based NHS WAND initiative – which provides wound care, harm reduction supplies and blood-borne virus testing – reported that around two thirds of the people presenting to them were injecting heroin, and around the same were injecting cocaine. Data from 2023 then showed a decrease to 57 per cent in injecting heroin, but an increase to 81 per cent of people injecting cocaine. This follows a pattern that we’ve also observed in Edinburgh and presents a distinct challenge to treatment providers.
The increase in the numbers injecting cocaine is especially significant, as injecting dramatically increases people’s risk of serious harm from overdoses, injuries, infections, and blood-borne viruses.
In holding this conference, we set out to promote engagement in services and explore how we can deliver the most effective treatment and harm reduction interventions to the people who need it. Topics covered included current trends and harms, and responses to crack cocaine and cocaine use in the region. Attendees heard both academic and practical learning, including data collected from the safe inhalation pipe provision pilot carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
We were grateful to hear from several high-profile keynote speakers, including Scotland’s minister for drugs and alcohol policy Christina McKelvie MSP, and a wide range of expert voices. Magdalena Harris, professor of inclusion health sociology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shared research on the marginalisation of people who smoke crack cocaine, emphasising the links between crack use and poverty, homelessness, criminal justice involvement, and limited access to health and social care services. Professor Harris highlighted the current lack of crack-specific treatment and services, as well as resistance to safe inhalation methods that is holding back harm reduction efforts.
Andrew McAuley PhD, professor of public health at Glasgow Caledonian University, spoke on trends, harms and responses relating to cocaine use in Scotland. As well as sharing statistics on rising cocaine use and the growing complexity of associated harms, he also discussed the need for bold and innovative approaches to reducing harm.
We were also grateful to hear from Jim McVeigh, professor of substance use and associated behaviours, drug policy and social change at Manchester Metropolitan University. His talk addressed the risks associated with powder cocaine, as well as the importance of integrating cognitive and behavioural strategies into harm reduction interventions. These strategies arguably could greatly improve effectiveness in addressing cocaine use.
Representing the award-winning drug charity Crew 2000 was its CEO, Emma Crawshaw. She described the organisation’s mission to reduce drug and sexual health-related harm and stigma, while also improving mental and physical health without judgment. She provided data on the types of substances people seek support for and highlighted cocaine-specific statistics, as well as discussing the work Crew 2000 does in their offices and outreach programme, and shared insights on the cycle of new drugs.
Alongside these speakers, the conference heard from staff members from Change Grow Live and the Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Partnership, who shared their insights into how frontline staff and services can best support people who are using cocaine and crack cocaine.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE
We’re extremely grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to the conference. The knowledge and learnings shared at the event demonstrate the wealth of expertise we have in the region, as well as the benefits of working together towards the common goal of supporting people to change their lives.
The insights shared throughout the day presented an overview of the challenges we face, but also a roadmap for how we can address them – from destigmatising safe, effective harm reduction measures, to creating new pathways for treatment and support.
‘The Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership are really pleased to have partnered in this key conference as part of our co-production process to produce the city’s strategic plan for alcohol and drugs,’ said the partnership’s chair, Pat Togher. ‘The speakers and the participants shared a vast amount of experience and knowledge, concerns and hope. We will be using the learning and the inspiration from the event to inform how we can respond to those affected by their own or other’s use of cocaine in the city.’
‘With cocaine playing a part in an increasing number of drug-related deaths, this conference on cocaine trends and treatment was very helpful as we look at how we can support people who have been impacted by cocaine and other stimulants,’ added Christina McKelvie. ‘A key part of our £250m national mission on drugs is to get people into the treatment and recovery that is right for them and the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with people and families to ensure care and support for cocaine users is available.’
We’re hopeful that this conference will help to promote an impactful, ongoing dialogue between the different services working to reduce drug-related harm and improve access to treatment.
We’re already looking ahead to future events, and we intend to continue working closely with the sector and other engaged organisations in our efforts to reduce people’s risk of harm, support them towards safer choices, and ultimately save lives.
If you’d like to find out more about the conference and our plans for the future, please get in touch. Contact Simon Holmes at Simon.Holmes@cgl.org.uk
Simon Holmes is head of services for Change Grow Live’s Edinburgh Community services