Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the announcement that the Scottish Government is to commit £28 million for health boards to tackle the problems posed by drug addiction.
NHS Grampian, along with every health board in the country, is to receive a 13.5% increase in their budget for tackling drug addiction thanks to this money as part of the SNP Government’s National Drugs Strategy, taking their budget for 2009/10 to £2, 593, 745. In addition to this, NHS Grampian will also received £938, 000 towards a new treatment centre in Aberdeen.
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“This additional money will be of enormous help in treating drug misuse in Banff & Buchan and the wider region. The importance of treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts should not be underestimated, as evidence shows that for every £1 spent on treatment, £9.50 is saved in reduced costs to the Scottish economy.
“By putting resources in the hands of health boards rather than focusing on national programmes, the Scottish Government aims to maximise the resources available to frontline treatment programmes, tailored to the needs of local communities.
“Drug misuse deeply harms individuals and communities, and although there are no quick solutions we are determined to do everything possible to tackle this problem. The SNP promised to develop a long-term National Drugs Strategy ahead of the 2007 election, and this latest announcement only serves to demonstrate how we are fulfilling that promise”.
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
