Scott Richards is five years clean and sober from his past life riddled with a cocaine addiction.
He, like many in Glasgow’s East End, grew up in a life of bitter gang crime and violence. Substance abuse was part of everyday life.
Shettleston is among the most deprived communities in the UK and is one of the areas at the centre of Europe’s drug deaths emergency.
Scott’s dance with death came to a head at Christmas in 2019 when he stood numb in his living room surrounded by his children. His drug misuse left him emotionally blank.
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The number of people who died due to drug misuse in Scotland has increased
It was the wake-up call which stopped him becoming a drug death statistic in Scotland’s national shame.
“I thought to myself that something needs to be done. I need to be able to help.
“After the stats today, it’s horrific that we are still losing people. When the government is going to keep burying in the sand, recovery groups are going to be there.
“We will do our best to save lives. We won’t rely on the government to give people hope.”