Fri 17th November 2023 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Online

The landscape for drugs research in Scotland is evolving.

Drug-related harms, including drug deaths, are preventable but continue to pose a significant risk to people who use drugs and affect families, communities and Scottish society. There is an ongoing need to generate and use evidence to inform delivery of the National Mission and to keep people who use drugs safe. Recent policy developments, such as de facto decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use, provide opportunities to reframe approaches to drugs and the people who use them. There is growing interest in the role of currently illegal substances as treatments for chronic health conditions e.g. cannabis for pain management and psychedelics for mental health conditions.

The Drugs Research Network for Scotland (DRNS) is funded by Scottish Government to support the development of collaborative working and knowledge exchange to address identified national priorities. We are holding an online event to discuss the priorities for Scottish drugs research and the network in the coming years. We are inviting the funders, creators, users, and beneficiaries of drugs research to share views on the most important subjects to investigate, and information on emerging programmes of work and associated learning.

This session will be held online via Microsoft Teams on Fri 17th November 2023 from 10:00 to 12:00. We will begin by reviewing relevant national policy priorities in Drugs, Health, and Justice. Following the presentations, we will utilise breakout rooms to give you a chance to share your views in discussing the research priorities for DRNS.