THE PAST DECADE HAS SEEN a lot of dewy-eyed and at times utterly disingenuous talk about "new politics" in Scotland. On the face of it, minority government has created the conditions for greater consensus building, but old-style party politicking and point-scoring is rarely far from the surface. And, let's be honest, it's not just politicians who play the game.

Disagreement and demands get attention - and often resources - so it is hardly surprising that those who want to influence public policy also default to grandstanding and promoting their own agendas.

If Scotland is to flourish we all need to get better at finding common ground rather than standing, daggers drawn, in different corners. This week provides a good opportunity to see if we're up to the challenge.

In a few days the Scottish government will publish its new drugs strategy. Born of expediency rather than necessity, what started out as a strategy "refresh" has slowly but surely evolved into a meaningful dialogue and has created the conditions for a watershed in Scotland's approach to this most challenging of issues.

The detail of the strategy is still under wraps, but the direction of travel is clear. The emphasis will be on "recovery" - at its simplest, the notion that people can and do recover from addiction and that policy, support and services should be based on this belief. At the heart of the recovery approach is a recognition that every individual is different and that, with sufficient motivation and self-belief, each person can find their own path to recovery. It seems almost daft that we need a government strategy to state what is largely common sense but that's just the way of it.

Promoting recovery is hard to disagree with and, as such, is a chance for all those who want to tackle Scotland's drugs problem to regroup under a common banner. Such a gathering place is much needed. Over recent years, the development of policy and practice has been hindered and energy dissipated in fighting too many phoney wars. How often have we rehearsed the abstinence versus harm reduction debate or heard residential rehabilitation pitted against methadone substitution programmes as a treatment?

A focus on recovery does not require any individual or organisation to leave behind their views, values or preferences. Indeed, there will - and should - continue to be healthy debate about what the balance of policy, services and investment should be. But if we sign up to the view that recovery is our common goal, then it flows that a range of different approaches can have a place.

A few months ago I chaired a Scottish government conference on the theme of recovery from drug addiction. Some clear messages emerged. The appetite to move on from argument to action was palpable. So, too, were the many heartfelt pleas to adopt a more positive approach to the way we discuss and deal with drugs and addiction.

In countless, often humbling, personal testimonies we heard from people who had found a path to recovery. Some largely on their own or with self-help groups, others with the support of services and professionals. No two stories were the same but they all shared a common message - hope.

That the drugs debate in Scotland might move into a place that is more optimistic and more sensitive to individual needs is a tantalising prospect.

The impact of drug use on our society is too great for us to lose more time fighting the same old battles. No one government or party, academic or expert has all the answers, but together progress can be made.

Recovery is not a soft option. Real challenges lie ahead for all concerned.

There will, rightly, be questions about available resources, but it is important that debate focuses as much on how resources are used as the size of the cake. More money alone won't fix these problems - but shared commitment, better management and effective leadership just might.

So, too, is it important that drugs are seen in a wider context, recognising the complex interplay of factors, personal and societal, cultural and economic. As such, progress will depend on a whole range of policies and players - not just agencies and professionals, but individuals themselves.

It's a safe bet there will be all sorts of points of disagreement and debate around the detail of the strategy. And there will be differing opinions about balancing prevention, treatment and enforcement, not to mention a host of organisational and operational issues needing to be addressed.

All of these are legitimate areas for debate and scrutiny and dialogue should be encouraged.

But those who use the publication of the new strategy as an opportunity simply to score points, apportion blame, claim credit or bang their own drum should be given short shrift. The issue is too big and important for those kind of games.

The signs are that the Scottish government is making a serious effort to develop a big tent approach to Scotland's drugs problem. That, at least, should be welcomed.

Susan Deacon is professor of Social Change at Queen Margaret Union, a former MSP and health minister, and a member of the RSA UK Drugs Commission