I AM wondering what solution Jim Butchart (Letters, Aug 23) has to reducing drug deaths in Scotland? Jim appears to be angry at the cost of the Scottish Government’s first safe consumption room, but I ask him, what else can the Scottish Government do to fulfil their pledge to tackle/reduce the large number of addicts’ deaths?

The government are damned if they do and damned if they don’t, and are literally shouted down by reporters etc stating that they have been in power for 17 years and yet more addicts are dying. What does Jim expect them to do? Do a U-turn on their pledge to try and reduce drug deaths?

READ MORE: All eyes on the SNP over drug deaths scandal – but what about Starmer?

Drug addiction is a sad state of affairs and no government, or even addict’s family members, can stop them on their route to self-destruction. Perhaps, Jim, you think they shouldn’t spend money on consumption rooms, just let addicts die, but that’s certainly not a society I would want to be a part of. As for politicians not living next to drug addicts Jim, do you have absolute proof of this? I think we all live next to or at least near to addicts!

Anne Smart
Milton of Campsie