A MOTHER who lost her son after a drug overdose 18 years ago has welcomed high level backing for drug possession to be decriminalised, a move she says would save lives.

Caroline Butler from Aberdeenshire – who called for decriminalisation in an interview with The Sunday National in its first issue last September – was “heartened” by growing support for reform. Her son Kevin would be 48 this year if he had lived.

Last week senior police officers – including Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson from Police Scotland – gave evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry into problem drug use in which they lent support to serious reform of drug laws, claiming current legislation was potentially causing harm.

In his evidence Johnson claimed there was “a tension” between police’s “first duty to save lives” and upholding the current laws on drugs. He also revealed that the number of deaths caused by drug overdoses in 2018 – due to be announced later this week, may hit 2100. Academics have previously claimed that if drug-related harms were included in the official figures, the death rate could double.

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In a previous evidence session campaigners – including Dave Liddle of the Scottish Drug Forum (SDF) and Martin Powell of Transform – also backed decriminalisation. On Friday Scotland’s newly appointed drugs tsar Catriona Matheson claimed evidence that it saves lives is “strong”.

Butler, a retired nurse who now runs the Substance Bereavement support group, spoke of her relief that the issue was being taken up at a senior level. She said: “I’ve hoped that we would come to this point after all the years I have advocated for it. I’m delighted it is now being talked about at this level. It has always needed a human and compassionate response.

“A lot of the time my son and his friends – who were also caught up in this – would be treated appallingly by services and officials. Even when they died it wasn’t treated like a death normally would be.

“Several people said to me after my son died: ‘It must be a relief”. I was just horrified. It wasn’t the same as it would have been to them as if he had died in an accident or of a horrible illness. The sense was that his death was inevitable.”

She claimed that rising drug deaths had been ignored for too long because addicts were dismissed as “criminals”. “If this was happening to another group of young people there would be an outcry,” she added. We need to understand that childhood and adult trauma in a lot of these deaths are connected.”

Her son’s problems had started when he was referred to the children’s panel due to behavioural issues that got him into trouble. “My son was brought up in a home where they were no problems with drugs or alcohol,” he added. “But he probably had ADHD. His behaviour was a cause for concern and instead of being helped he was punished.

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“It was decided [by the children’s panel] that he would be sent to a residential school. My husband and I were devastated but I felt we didn’t have a voice. He was abused in both of the schools he was sent to. I feel now that was when his life ended. He came out of school without the skills to cope with life.”

As a young adult he spent time in Polmont Young Offenders as a result of drug offences and his addiction led him into adult prisons. He later died of a heroin overdose.

“I still strongly believe we need to look seriously at decriminalising,” added Butler. “It’s not the answer to everything but [the law] is currently a barrier to people coming forward to get help. The same is true of so-called fix rooms. I think they will be a great help because when they come through the door they will be welcomed and not judged.

“The attitude of the Home Office is antiquated. It’s the 21st century and people are dying because of this. It’s horrendous. This really is a moral issue and politicians can decide to do something about it. We have to remember these are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles that are dying.”

On Thursday the Daily Record led with a call for Scotland to decriminalise drugs on its front page, which many interpreted as evidence of increasing support for the move.

Justina Murray, chief executive of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, welcomed support for treating drug addition as a health issue rather than a criminal justice one. Last week the charity launched its #BehindTheNumbers campaign, featuring the stories of two mothers – Karen and Sandra – who struggled for years to get help for their children.

She added: “The Scottish Affairs committee has really exposed a lot of the frustrations in Scotland. We are being constrained by legislation we are not controlling.” The charity also gave evidence to the committee in a private session, allowing family members to speak openly about issues including the damage caused by criminalisation.

However, Murray claimed that other problems needed to be addressed – including the lack of treatment options and support for families.