DRUG DEATHS

That this House is alarmed at the 3,744 drug-related deaths registered in England and Wales and the 867 registered in Scotland in 2016; notes with dismay that these rates are far higher than those across Europe; further notes that the majority of these deaths involved an opiate, mostly heroin or morphine; is further alarmed at the threat posed by the far deadlier opiate Fentanyl, which has had a devastating effect in the US and is now causing deaths across the UK; recommends the availability of life-saving Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of opioid overdose, be accelerated as a matter of urgency; and calls on the Government to follow the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and ensure that funding for drug treatment is prioritised and protected in order to address the current crisis.