In Scotland, 1501 babies were born depended on drugs

The Scottish Liberal Party has revealed a striking fact in Scotland. Utilizing the Freedom of Information Act, the party disclosed that since 2017, babies have been born in Scotland addicted to drugs. The reason for these babies being born addicted to drugs is their mothers’ drug use during pregnancy.

Based on statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party prepared a report on "Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)," which affects babies born to mothers with substance abuse issues.
According to the report, 1501 babies have been born with NAS since 2017, with the cause attributed to legal or illegal drugs consumed by their mothers during pregnancy.

In the Lothian region, which includes the capital Edinburgh, 774 babies were born addicted to drugs. In the Glasgow and Clyde region, 221 cases were reported, while in the Grampian region, including Aberdeen, 209 babies were born dependent on drugs.
The report also highlighted symptoms obse

rved in babies born with drug dependency, such as uncontrollable tremors, hyperactivity, blotchy skin, and high-pitched crying.
Commenting on the report, Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton stated that "There is perhaps no more awful start in life for a new-born baby than to be born dependent on drugs.”

Cole-Hamilton emphasized the Scottish government’s failure in addressing drug addiction and drug-related deaths. He criticized former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for budget cuts imposed on alcohol and drug addiction services.

Cole-Hamilton noted that the budget cuts led to the closure or inability of these services to function effectively during Sturgeon’s tenure as First Minister from 2014 to 2023. "The new budget presented by First Minister John Swinney risks repeating the same mistakes," Cole-Hamilton warned.
Cole-Hamilton called on the Scottish government to provide more support for addiction treatment services.