Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2021/22: Public Attitudes Towards People with Problem Drug Use

Chapter 4 – Attitudes towards the legality of drugs

SSA 2021/22 included two questions examining to what extent people think that drug possession for personal use should not be criminalised in Scotland. These questions was designed to not only guage the extent to which people felt that personal drug possession should be criminalised but whether more stigmitising attitudes were held depending on the drug type in question. As these questions were also asked in previous survey years, asking these again in 2021/22 allowed for an analysis of changes in attitudes over time. In order to assess this question, respondents of SSA were asked the following:

'And how much do you agree or disagree that people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own use?'

'And how much do you agree or disagree that people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of heroin for their own use?'

This chapter analyses the responses to these two questions and provides a comparison with 2001 and 2009 findings where available, alongside a breakdown of responses by various demographic and attitudinal sub-groups.

Attitudes towards the criminalisation of cannabis possession for personal use

Respondents were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the statement that people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own use. Over three in five people (66%) 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that people should not be prosecuted, while just under one in five (18%) 'disagreed' or 'strongly disagreed' that small amounts of cannabis possession should not be prosecuted (see Figure 8).

In 2001, 51% either agreed or strongly agreed that people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own use. By 2009, the proportion agreeing had dropped to 34%. However, in 2021/22, the proportion who either agreed or strongly agreed with this statement had almost doubled from 2009 to 66%.

How do attitudes vary between sub-groups?

Attitudes to this question varied by individuals' personal experiences with drug use. Unsurprisingly, those who had tried illegal drugs themselves were more likely than those who had not to have agreed or strongly agreed that people possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own use should not be prosecuted. The vast majoirty (89%) of those who had tried illegal drugs either agreed or strongly agreed with this sentiment, compared with around six in ten (57%) of those who had not tried any illegal drugs. There was also an association between whether people knew a friend or family member who had regularly used illegal drugs, with over eight in ten (84%) of those who did agreeing or strongly agreeing that people possessing a small amount of cannabis for personal use should not be prosecuted. This figure was lower, but still considerable, at around six in ten (57%) for those who did not have any friends or family who had regularly used illegal drugs.

Attitudes also differed by the extent to which people in Scotland felt that individuals were responsible for their own problem drug use, as shown in Figure 9. When asked whether people possessing small amounts of cannabis for personal use should not be prosecuted, 43% of those who agreed or strongly agreed that most people with problem drug use only have themselves to blame, compared with 77% of those who disagreed or strongly disagreed, agreed that cannabis for personal use should not be prosecuted.

Attitudes towards the criminalisation of heroin possession for personal use

Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed with the sentiment that people possessing heroin for personal use should not be prosecuted. Figure 10 shows that just over two in five (42%) agreed or strongly agreed that people possessing a small amount of heroin for personal use should not be prosecuted, while around a third (36%) disagreed or strongly disagreed. This suggests that people in Scotland are more divided on the issue of criminalisation for personal heroin use than on criminalisation for personal cannabis use, which saw a majority agree that people should not be prosecuted.

Between 2001 and 2009, there was little change in the proportion who agreed or strongly agreed that people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of heroin for personal use. However, between 2009 and 2021/22, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of those who agree that people who use heroin should not be criminalised with 16% holding this view in 2009, compared with 42% in 2021/22.

How do attitudes vary between sub-groups?

As with cannabis prosecution, there was an association between personal experiences with drug use and whether people agreed or disagreed that people possessing a small amount of heroin should be prosecuted. Two-thirds (66%) of those who had a close friend or family member who had regularly used illegal drugs 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that people who possessed heroin for personal use should not be prosecuted. This reduced to around a third (33%) for those with no friends or family who had regularly used illegal drugs.

The extent to which the public agreed that people possessing heroin for personal use should not be prosecuted varied by how responsible they felt individuals were for their own problem drug use. As illustrated in Figure 11, when asked whether people possessing small amounts of heroin for personal use should not be prosecuted, 24% of those who agreed or strongly agreed that most people with problem drug use only have themselves to blame, compared with 53% of those who disagreed or strongly disagreed, agreed that 'people should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of heroin for their own use'.