Losing the drugs war

It is both frustrating and depressing that despite the expenditure of literally hundreds of millions of pounds on tackling Scotland's illicit drugs problems, drug-related deaths rose sharply last year. Statistics released yesterday show 421 deaths, a 25% increase over the previous year. Of that total, 280 fatalities were the direct result of drug abuse, 76 more than 2005. Even breaking down the figures offers little comfort beyond a slight dip in such deaths in Lothian and fewer dying from the effects of cocaine and diazepam. In both Grampian and west-central Scotland, drug deaths have risen sharply and heroin and morphine - responsible for just 84 deaths a decade ago - last year claimed the lives of 260.