4<\/p>\n The charity receives cash from firms making Methadone – a heroin substituteCredit: Alamy 4<\/p>\n The Scottish Drugs Forum has been pushing for harm reduction methods to get people off drugs – which include MethadoneCredit: Alamy 4<\/p>\n Annemarie Ward, of FAVOR UK (Faces & Voices of Recovery UK), accused the quango of having a “dangerous conflict on interest”Credit: Michael Schofield<\/p>\n Such methods include addicts being given methadone – a heroin<\/a> substitute – which opponents say does nothing to get people real help and recovery and just traps a person in addiction.<\/p>\n But it has since emerged the SDF is getting financial backing from two firms producing the drug substitutes at the centre of harm reduction tactics.<\/p>\n The charity<\/a> is getting financial backing by big Pharma firms Ethypharm and Camurus, the Mail on Sunday revealed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Among the several drugs produced by Ethypharm is methoadone, which is given put by the NHS<\/a> for opioid addiction.<\/p>\n While Camurus makes a slow-release heroin substitute called Buvidal, which lasts for up to 28 days.<\/p>\n The pharma firms sponsored a job<\/a> role that was advertised at the SDF.<\/p>\n The quango was hiring a content creator and editor to help create their “a peer-led, harm reduction-focused magazine created by and for people who use drugs.”<\/p>\n It was advertised last year with a salary range of \u00a340,937 to \u00a344,699.<\/p>\n But the job role said the whole harm-reduction magazine project is only able to happen because of cash given by the pharmaceutical companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n The advert read: “This new project has been made possible thanks to unrestricted educational grants from Ethypharm and Camurus.”<\/p>\n Drug fix rooms could be rolled out across Scotland before end of controversial Glasgow pilot <\/p>\n The charity has now been accused of having a “dangerous<\/a> conflict of interest” by taking cash from firms producing the drugs.<\/p>\n Veteran drug campaigner Annemarie Ward, who has been leading calls for abstinence-based recovery through her charity FAVOR UK, said: “These companies make their money<\/a> from the very medications this magazine promotes…their business model<\/a> depends on maintaining \u2014 not solving \u2014 mass dependency.<\/p>\n “This is a glaring and dangerous conflict of interest.”<\/p>\n Methadone has been floated as an answer to solving the drugs crisis for years, yet it has continued to claim lives.<\/p>\n In the past five years it has proven responsible for 2,898 fatal overdoses.<\/p>\n Scottish Tories shadow drugs minister Annie Wells added: “The source of this quango\u2019s funding gives rise to legitimate questions over its advice to the SNP government<\/a> on drugs policy.”<\/p>\n The CEO of the Scottish Drugs Forum, Kirsten Horsburgh, said: “Scottish Drugs Forum is open and transparent about all sources of funding.<\/p>\n “The vast majority of our funding comes from public bodies.<\/p>\n Read more on the Scottish Sun<\/p>\n “On occasion, we have received a small percentage of project-specific, unrestricted educational grants from pharmaceutical companies.<\/p>\n “This is always under strict conditions that ensure complete independence over the work undertaken, with no influence on its content, conclusions or public messaging.”<\/p>\n![\"Hand](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/r239x9-pictured-hand-holding-prescription-455090466.jpg\")
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