CivTech 12.1 - How can digital technologies assist people living with substance use issues (and their families/friends) to easily connect with trusted help and substance use support when services are unavailable?

Scotland has the highest drug and alcohol related death rates in the UK and Europe. People with substance use issues (PWSUI) often need help outside normal 'office' hours or from a distance from offices, and support is not uniformly available throughout Scotland.

The support landscape in Scotland is fragmented, hard to navigate, and varies by locality. When support isn’t readily available (or isn’t trusted), people and their families and friends often default to emergency services or remain unsupported.

As a result, those who use substances often experience avoidable crisis escalation, or remain in extremely difficult situations, and support services miss opportunities for early, harm-reducing interventions. The Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan 2026 – 2035 specifically addresses the crucial need to tackle early intervention and widen an individual’s ‘circle of support’.

This ‘circle of support’ is at the heart of this Challenge, and a successful solution would enable people to access the right support sooner, regardless of locality. It should harness the power of existing trusted services, family and community to reduce avoidable demand on emergency and NHS services – and if possible, create a ‘feedback loop’ of learning, intelligence and insight so that the overall issue can be tackled in a continually improving manner.