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James McMillan and Lisa McCuish grew up next to each other and now they lie side by side in Pennyfuir Cemetery. The newest headstones on the freshly-dug fringes of the graveyard tell an alarming story of a lost generation in this pretty tourist town on Scotland’s west coast. Oban is home to just 8,000 people, and at least eight recent confirmed or suspected victims of drug misuse were buried here. The youngest was 26, the oldest was 48.
We have been able to confirm that at least eight of the deaths occurred within just a year-and-a-half and were related to drugs, or are still under investigation. This is the reality of Scotland’s drug deaths crisis in just one small community and both Tanya and Jayne say the Scottish government must do more to save lives.
I personally believe that a lot of addiction is to do with mental health first, says Tanya. There’s no continuity in support from addiction services or mental health services. There’s no link up.
For Jayne, who is a drugs support worker herself, says she spent years trying to bring James home to Oban where she felt he would have a better chance of recovery and survival. A particular challenge, she says, was that Argyll and Bute Council offered James housing places in Dunoon and Helensburgh, both about two hours away, making it very difficult for his family to support him.
