Mandatory drug testing for arrestees
12 Oct 06
New pilot project aimed at tackling drug crime problems in Scotland's major cities
Anyone arrested for drug or theft offences in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs, under a new pilot launched today.
The pilots, which will last for two years, will give senior police officers the power to authorise drug testing and referral of people arrested for theft and drug offences where they suspect misuse of a class A drug has caused or contributed to the offence.
They will then be required to attend an assessment of their drug misuse, with a view to helping them to address their drug problem and turn their backs on crime. Anyone who refuses the test or assessment will be liable to a criminal charge.
Provisions to allow mandatory drug testing on arrest were included in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. Mandatory drug testing is compulsory for anyone arrested for a drug or theft offence, whereas arrest referral sees anyone in custody for any offence offered a voluntary assessment and advice.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said: "Currently around a third of all recorded crime in Scotland is related to drugs and more than three-quarters of those sentenced by the courts to a custodial sentence show signs of drug misuse and drug-related offending.
"We need effective interventions that nip drug-related offending in the bud and channel offenders into the treatments we are supporting. These pilots will give adults with drug problems in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen an incentive to engage with services and get the help they need."