Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland's Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan 2026 – 2035

Introduction

This Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan (2026-2035) represents the next phase in our response to tackling alcohol and drug harms, replacing and building upon the learning and momentum of previous frameworks, including:

• Rights, Respect and Recovery (2018), which aimed to embed a human rights-based and recovery-oriented approach to both alcohol and drugs treatment and support;
• The Alcohol Framework (2018), which advanced population-level measures to reduce alcohol-related harm;
• The National Mission on Drug Deaths (2021), which prioritised saving and improving lives through urgent and focused action; and
• The Cross Government Plan on Drugs (2023), which was the response to the Drug Deaths Taskforce and aimed to foster whole-system collaboration and action.

By amalgamating these earlier efforts, this Plan offers a unified, long-term approach grounded in evidence. Whilst we recognise the differences in regulatory frameworks for alcohol and drugs – and therefore the distinct opportunities for prevention – there are significant areas of overlap. These include shared causal factors, common approaches to treatment and support, and the similar impacts experienced by individuals and families. A joint approach across alcohol and drugs enables a more coherent and coordinated response, strengthening our ability to address joint harms and deliver meaningful change.

The Plan sets out further action we are taking to build on our response to the recommendations and learning from the Drug Deaths Taskforce Changing Lives report (2022), the work of the National Collaborative, Audit Scotland’s report on Alcohol & Drug Services (2024), the Scottish Parliament People’s Panel report (2025) and findings from the independent evaluation of the National Mission by Public Health Scotland. This Plan is designed to incorporate lessons learned, embed long-term change and shift our work towards a more sustainable approach.

This Plan is a key component of Scotland’s broader public health ambitions:

• The Population Health Framework which seeks to address the wider determinants of health, increase life expectancy and reduce inequalities; and
• The Service Renewal Framework which guides the transformation of health and social care services towards being more person-centred and community-based, and to harness digital technologies to improve access, efficiency, and outcomes.

Scotland’s strategic response to alcohol and drug harms will continue to be firmly rooted in a public health and human rights approach – as advocated for by the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO). Despite progress, Scotland continues to experience some of the highest rates of drug-related deaths in Europe and significant levels of alcohol-related harm. We recognise substance use as a complex health and social issue often driven by trauma, poverty, inequality and marginalisation. A public health approach prioritises prevention and evidence informed interventions, which are key to achieving long-term reductions in harm and promoting recovery.

The Plan has been informed by significant engagement, including people and families with lived and living experience of alcohol and drug harms, service providers and commissioners, academics, clinicians and voluntary sector representatives. A clear theme emerging from this engagement is that whilst there is broad support for existing policies, there remains an implementation gap, and a need to intensify and accelerate action to deliver meaningful change.

Successful delivery of the Plan depends on strong partnership working across local and national governments, and statutory and voluntary organisations. Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) will play a leading role in the national public health approach, while local partners, coordinated through Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) with oversight by integration authorities, will drive local delivery.