Scotland to reduce prosecutions of class A drug users

Police can issue warnings in policy change unveiled by Scottish lord advocate in response to high death toll

Individuals caught in possession of class A drugs in Scotland could be issued with a police warning rather than facing prosecution, in a significant policy shift announced by the country's new lord advocate as a direct response to the ongoing drug death crisis.

Dorothy Bain, who was appointed to the role in June, said the decision to give police discretion over class A drug offences did not amount to decriminalisation but told MSPs there was no one size fits all response" to dealing with drug addiction.