Latest news with #AnnemarieWard
Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scots anti-drugs charity accepts cash from pharma giant that makes METHADONE
The pharma firms sponsored a job role that was advertised Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A ROW has erupted after it emerged one of Scotland's most prominent anti-drugs charities is taking cash from a firm making methadone. Taxpayer-funded quango the Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) have been at the forefront of calls for harm reduction methods to solve Scotland's shameful addiction and drug deaths crisis. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The charity receives cash from firms making Methadone - a heroin substitute Credit: Alamy 4 The Scottish Drugs Forum has been pushing for harm reduction methods to get people off drugs - which include Methadone Credit: Alamy 4 Annemarie Ward, of FAVOR UK (Faces & Voices of Recovery UK), accused the quango of having a "dangerous conflict on interest" Credit: Michael Schofield Such methods include addicts being given methadone - a heroin substitute - which opponents say does nothing to get people real help and recovery and just traps a person in addiction. But it has since emerged the SDF is getting financial backing from two firms producing the drug substitutes at the centre of harm reduction tactics. The charity is getting financial backing by big Pharma firms Ethypharm and Camurus, the Mail on Sunday revealed. Among the several drugs produced by Ethypharm is methoadone, which is given put by the NHS for opioid addiction. While Camurus makes a slow-release heroin substitute called Buvidal, which lasts for up to 28 days. The pharma firms sponsored a job role that was advertised at the SDF. The quango was hiring a content creator and editor to help create their "a peer-led, harm reduction-focused magazine created by and for people who use drugs." It was advertised last year with a salary range of £40,937 to £44,699. But the job role said the whole harm-reduction magazine project is only able to happen because of cash given by the pharmaceutical companies. The advert read: "This new project has been made possible thanks to unrestricted educational grants from Ethypharm and Camurus." Drug fix rooms could be rolled out across Scotland before end of controversial Glasgow pilot The charity has now been accused of having a "dangerous conflict of interest" by taking cash from firms producing the drugs. Veteran drug campaigner Annemarie Ward, who has been leading calls for abstinence-based recovery through her charity FAVOR UK, said: "These companies make their money from the very medications this magazine business model depends on maintaining — not solving — mass dependency. "This is a glaring and dangerous conflict of interest." Methadone has been floated as an answer to solving the drugs crisis for years, yet it has continued to claim lives. In the past five years it has proven responsible for 2,898 fatal overdoses. Scottish Tories shadow drugs minister Annie Wells added: "The source of this quango's funding gives rise to legitimate questions over its advice to the SNP government on drugs policy." The CEO of the Scottish Drugs Forum, Kirsten Horsburgh, said: "Scottish Drugs Forum is open and transparent about all sources of funding. "The vast majority of our funding comes from public bodies. "On occasion, we have received a small percentage of project-specific, unrestricted educational grants from pharmaceutical companies. "This is always under strict conditions that ensure complete independence over the work undertaken, with no influence on its content, conclusions or public messaging."
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Anger over anti-drugs quango which accepts cash from firms that produce... methadone
A taxpayer-funded drugs lobbying group has been accused of a 'conflict of interest' as The Mail on Sunday today reveals it is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies which make heroin replacements. The Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) has consistently called for SNP ministers to introduce 'harm reduction' methods over abstinence-based recovery. Interventions include putting vulnerable addicts onto methadone programs which critics say trap sufferers in the cycle of addiction. Analysis by The Mail last year showed methadone had killed more people over a five year period than heroin. Now, we can reveal the SDF, which is a registered Scottish charity, is being sponsored by pharmaceutical giants Ethypharm and Camurus. Ethypharm makes a number of drugs, including methadone, which is prescribed for opioid addiction treatment as part of NHS Scotland's medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program. Meanwhile Camurus makes Buvidal, another heroin substitute in the form of a slow release injection that can last for seven to 28 days. It is currently available for Scottish prisoners. A recent job application for a full-time content creator and editor states a new SDF magazine is being paid for by the companies. It read: 'This new project has been made possible thanks to unrestricted educational grants from Ethypharm and Camurus.' Last night, Annemarie Ward, chief executive of Faces and Voices of Recovery, said the revelations had laid bare a 'dangerous' conflict of interest within the SDF, which is predominantly funded by the public purse. She said: 'These companies make their money from the very medications this magazine business model depends on maintaining — not solving — mass dependency. 'This is a glaring and dangerous conflict of interest. 'SDF does not deliver treatment, support families, or provide long-term recovery programmes. It is a policy actor masquerading as a public service. This is not about evidence. It's about influence. And it's time we called it what it is.' Scottish Conservative shadow drugs minister Annie Wells MSP said: 'The source of this quango's funding gives rise to legitimate questions over its advice to the SNP government on drugs policy. 'The SNP have shamefully failed to tackle Scotland's drugs death epidemic. They should do the right thing and back the Right to Recovery bill, which would enshrine in law a right to treatment for those suffering from addiction.' Latest SDF company accounts show the group is majority funded by the taxpayer and received around £1.9m from the Scottish Government, local drug partnerships and the NHS last year alone. Since 2018, it has received at least £6,281,237 from the taxpayer, according to FOI documents and accounts. It has pushed for a number of harm reduction practices to be adopted by the Scottish Government and the NHS in Scotland, including the introduction of heroin safe consumption rooms. Its position is that abstinence-based recovery, which has saved the lives of millions of people across the world for decades, is not the end goal of treatment. That is despite addiction being defined by the NHS as not having 'control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful'. Instead, it has been a fierce advocate for MAT - or opioid replacement therapies - using drugs such as methadone - as well as safe consumption rooms and even full-scale decriminalisation. Serious concerns have been raised about methadone prescriptions, which is prescribed to an estimated 20,540 people in Scotland. Campaigners fear thousands of addicts have been 'parked' on the substitutes rather than receive residential rehabilitation to help them live free from mind and body altering substances. Analysis of health records by The Mail last year showed there were 284,951 methadone scripts handed out over a 12 month period up to 2024, worth £4.1million. Looking back over equivalent data for the previous five years, the total cost of methadone to the NHS was £19.9million. Yet over five years, heroin claimed 2,544 lives, while methadone proved more deadly, responsible for 2,898 fatal overdoses. Last night, Kirsten Horsburgh CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum said: 'Scottish Drugs Forum is open and transparent about all sources of funding. 'The vast majority of our funding comes from public bodies. 'On occasion, we have received a small percentage of project-specific, unrestricted educational grants from pharmaceutical companies. 'This is always under strict conditions that ensure complete independence over the work undertaken, with no influence on its content, conclusions or public messaging.'
Sky News
09-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Glasgow City Council mobilises digger to clean up drugs den near UK's first safe consumption room
Council chiefs mobilised a digger to clean up a filthy drugs den near the UK's first safe consumption room. Glasgow City Council took action in Calton last week in response to complaints from local residents. The council said discarded needles were safely removed, overgrowth was cut back, and other waste was lifted from the derelict land. Needle bins were also installed at hotspots where public injecting is known to take place. Annemarie Ward, chief executive of Faces and Voices of Recovery UK (FAVOR UK), accused the local authority of "photographing the clean-up like it's some kind of PR victory". Ms Ward added: "What you're really admitting is this - public injecting has become so normalised in Glasgow that the council is now designing around it. "Syringe bins in public parks. Clean-ups in residential streets. Needle management instead of addiction treatment. No detox. No rehab. No recovery. Just managed decline in hi-vis." Sky News' Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies previously visited the area near The Thistle - the UK's first safer drug consumption facility (SDCF). A makeshift drugs den was littered with drug paraphernalia and hundreds of freshly-used needles - with one even stabbed into a tree. Long-term resident Vanessa Paton told of how the area was "becoming a toilet", adding: "It is getting worse. "The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. It's a no-go war zone every day and night." 2:40 Glasgow City Council has refuted claims of increased crime reports and a rise of injecting equipment in the area since the opening of the SDCF. Councillor Allan Casey, city convener for addiction services, said: "The council has consistently acknowledged the existence of public injecting sites in Calton - a matter that has been ongoing for many years preceding the opening of the Thistle. "One of the primary reasons for establishing The Thistle was to provide a safer environment for users and reduce the presence of discarded needles in public spaces. "In response to these longstanding issues, we have undertaken numerous, comprehensive deep cleans and needle collection operations. "It's wholly inaccurate to suggest this is a recent development linked to the opening of The Thistle. "Our community engagement forum meets regularly to allow residents - and businesses - to raise any concerns they have and allow us to address them appropriately." The SDCF - based at Hunter Street Health Centre - allows users to be able to consume drugs under supervision in a clean and hygienic environment. The pilot is being backed by the Scottish government, with Holyrood pledging up to £2.3m a year for the facility to help tackle the country's drug-related deaths crisis. Data from National Records of Scotland showed there were a total of 1,172 deaths due to drug misuse in 2023 - a rise of 121 (12%) on the previous year. It is hoped the centre will help addicts access wider support to improve their lives, as well as reduce the risk of blood-borne viruses (BBV) such as HIV. The Thistle opened in January. A total of 306 people (248 men and 58 women) have made 3,468 visits to the facility up to 25 May. According to the latest figures, there have been 2,461 injecting episodes and 35 medical emergencies. Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily Ms Ward, a former addict and now charity boss, helped draft the Scottish Conservatives' Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill - which is making its way through Holyrood. Speaking to Sky News, she said the city's east end community had mobilised and was scheduled to hold another public meeting on Monday evening. She said some of the complaints have included older women being too "scared to go to the bingo", with others having "felt unsafe while walking their dogs". Ms Ward said FAVOR UK is not against safer drug consumption rooms in principle, but she does not believe the set-up in Scotland is adequate and would like to see more control handed over from public bodies to the third sector. She claimed the nation's treatment system attempts to "manage and control people's drug use" despite addiction "by its very nature being uncontrollable and unmanageable". Ms Ward added: "We don't have a treatment system that actually provides an exit." A Glasgow City Council spokesperson added: "We fully understand the anxiety caused by discarded needles. If someone reports a discarded needle in a public place we will have it removed within 24 hours. "Various teams are working together to address community concerns about discarded needles in the Calton area."
Scottish Sun
31-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Warning after new deadly heroin mixed with Frankenstein drugs flood Scots streets
One drug user in Ayrshire needed 13 doses of lifesaving drug naloxone to revive them GREEN & RED ALERT Warning after new deadly heroin mixed with Frankenstein drugs flood Scots streets Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEADLY green and red heroin mixed with Frankenstein drugs that cause users to instantly collapse are flooding Scotland, we can reveal. Greedy dealers across the country are cutting their heroin with the lethal synthetic opioids fentanyl and nitazenes to devastating effect. 2 Public Health Scotland say it has contributed to 251 deaths between last December and February Credit: Getty 2 In 52 of 200 alerts to PHS, deals had caused 'instant blackouts' from small doses Credit: Getty The coloured variants emerged as a shocking report reveals drug- related deaths rocketed by 17 per cent in three months. Red heroin, containing nitazenes, cause people to keel over immediately, while the green version — laced with fentanyl and citric acid — is driving a rapid rise in overdoses. Public Health Scotland say the super-strength drugs have contributed to 251 deaths between last December and February. Green heroin, with the street names 'fly' or 'man down', was specifically mentioned in 15 overdose reports while red heroin featured in seven. Scotland keeps promising to protect its most vulnerable. Instead it's throwing them to the wolves. Annemarie Ward In 52 of 200 alerts to PHS, deals had caused 'instant blackouts' from small doses. Annemarie Ward, of Faces and Voices of Recovery, said: 'I'm shocked. 'I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. 'It's scary how quickly this stuff is happening. It seems everything we have feared about fentanyl is coming true. 'If nearly half the drug supply is fake or contaminated, why is there still this push for harm reduction rather than actually helping people get well? They're not being offered an actual place to get help, to recover, to get off drugs. 'We've normalised the system where people are abandoned. I opened cupboard in my new council flat and shower of 150 used HEROIN needles fell out - I'm scared my baby's infected 'Scotland keeps promising to protect its most vulnerable. Instead it's throwing them to the wolves.' One drug user in Ayrshire needed 13 doses of lifesaving drug naloxone to revive them after taking the coloured heroin, it has emerged. Dr Tara Shivaji, consultant in Public Health Medicine at PHS, said: 'We are very concerned about the presence of synthetic drugs like nitazenes within the unregulated drugs market across Scotland. 'Nitazenes are potent opioid drugs which can be many times stronger than heroin. Taking even a small amount carries an increased risk of overdose or death. 'There are ways to reduce the risk of overdose when taking some drugs, but there is no safe way to take nitazenes.' Scottish Tory drugs spokeswoman Annie Wells said: 'SNP ministers are still shamefully failing to get a grip on the lethal substances that are causing misery.' Health Secretary Neil Gray said: 'We are determined to continue our efforts to reduce harm and deaths. 'My condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one.'
Scottish Sun
13-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Nursery staff near Scotland's controversial drug fix room ‘checking sandpits for used needles'
Around 50 used needles were found in just one minute 'WE ARE LAB RATS' Nursery staff near Scotland's controversial drug fix room 'checking sandpits for used needles' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NURSERY staff near Scotland's controversial drugs fix room are being forced to sift through sandpits for discarded needles, a campaigner claimed. Colin McGowan, 70, told of their daily checks for used syringes 'buried' in play areas close to the Thistle centre in Calton, Glasgow. 6 Residents are concerned about the rise in drug paraphernalia in the community Credit: Steve Welsh 6 The community meeting heard how needles were being discovered by local nurseries Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Annemarie Ward spoke to residents about the concerns of recovery budget spending Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Charity boss Colin McGowen picked up 50 needles in one minutes on his way to the meeting Credit: Steve Welsh The worried grandad also brandished a tub filled with 50 needles found in a minute-long search of bushes and pavements in the shadow of the £2.3million-a-year consumption room. It opened in January to allow users a place to inject safely under supervision, in a bid to tackle rising drugs deaths. But Mr McGowan told a meeting residents have been left feeling like 'lab rats' amid claims of rising substance misuse in the streets around the centre. Locals say dealers have been 'rattling their doors' while users have been found lurking in closes. And Mr McGowan — whose Blameless charity raises awareness of alcohol and substance abuse — said: 'I hope the facility saves addicts' lives but don't call them 'safe consumption rooms'. 'They're attracting more users and dealers. I don't want it where my grandkids live. There's always been visible drug use in Calton, but not at this level. 'It's a duty of care for two nurseries to check sand where kids play because addicts are burying needles there.' Councillor George Redmond confirmed some centres have requested removal of needles in the last 'five to six weeks'. Residents demanded John Swinney act during the gathering at the district's St Luke's venue on Monday. Activists brandished a banner reading: 'First Minister, you best listen! Our children deserve better.' Speakers included addiction charity chief Annemarie Ward of Favor UK. Locals say they have been left too scared to let children play outside. One resident said: 'There's open drug dealing. All I see is police and ambulances scraping bodies up.' Another said: 'We've had drug users in our closes and dealers rattling our doors. It's terrifying.' But Allan Casey, a councillor who helped set up the drugs hub, rejected the claims as 'more disinformation'. 6 McGowen claims nurseries in the local area are now factoring in checking for needles Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Local community members are calling for John Swinney to step in Credit: Steve Welsh He said on X there was 'no evidence' of a rise in needle use, adding: 'Over 2,000 injections have been taken off the streets. The service has been accessed just under 3,000 times and the team have reversed more than 30 overdoses. 'There is public injecting in the Calton and other locations, as has been the case for decades. To suggest this is a new phenomenon caused by the Thistle is just gaslighting.' Glasgow City Council said: 'If someone reports a needle we will have it removed. 'We are working on a plan to address discarded needles in the Calton area."
