Long term drug users in Scotland are dying earlier because health services are too ready to write them off, according to experts in the field.

Early findings from research commissioned by the Scottish Government now believe drug users aged over 35 have health problems comparable to someone of retirement age, but many are not picked up because doctors and nurses struggle to see past their addiction problems.

READ MORE: Plans for UK's first drug injecting centre in Glasgow

The study by an expert working group on older drug users, is part of a bid to tackle Scotland’s soaring rate of drug-related deaths, and will not report its findings until the end of the year. But interim findings presented by Dr Catriona Mattheson, an expert in the Study of addiction from the University of Aberdeen, at an event held by Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF), suggest attitudes of some health staff make Scotland's drug deaths crisis worse.

There were 613 drug-related deaths in 2014, the largest number ever recorded and one which has doubled since 2000. The figure was 16 per cent up on the previous year.

READ MORE: Plans for UK's first drug injecting centre in Glasgow

However the figures also showed a sharp increase in deaths among older drug users, with the majority of fatal overdoses and the majority of drug-related infections coming among over 35s.

The new report says there are more than 30,000 older people with a drug problem over the age of 35 in Scotland, around 22,000 men and 8,300 women. Around 10,000 of them are over 45. Most can be expected to have health comparable to someone 15 years older, including chronic conditions not directly related to drug uses.

But many of the conditions they suffer from are not identified or treated. The research says underlying conditions make it more likely someone will overdose and more likely that that overdose will be fatal. The majority of fatal overdoses are among the over 35s and the majority of those experiending drug related infections are also over 35.

READ MORE: Plans for UK's first drug injecting centre in Glasgow

Some drug users are not getting treatment because they fail to seek help for medical problems but some are stigmatised by health workers, who assume problems are due to drug misuse and don’t look for underlying causes, or who tend to ‘write off’ older drug users.

The report says many drug users suffer significant mental health problems, with causes including shame and society’s attitudes to drug users, and the fact that many are isolated and have lost touch or been cut off by friends and family.

However they can fall into a gap between services, with drug agencies unable to help tackle their drug use unless their mental health issues are treated, and health services often refusing to accept them unless their drug issues have first been addressed.

Pain relief is also a crucial issue, with suspicious health services wary of requests for help managing pain in case the claims are merely a pretext to get prescription drugs.

The working group is considering calling for drug users to be given individual advocates to help them challenge services in the event that health care offered is not of a high standard.

At present, researchers say, there is no guidance for drug agencies or NHS staff on how to handle older people with a drug problem, and limited awareness of their needs in related areas,such as poverty, housing, health and social care.

Welfare reform can rises the risk that someone relapses,but investing in better services for drug users could save money, the report says.

David Liddell, director of Scottish Drugs Forum, stressed that the research was at an early stage. But around half of Scotland's 61.5k drug users are over 35 and "very much at risk" he said.

"One of the problems seems to be that older drug users with traumatic backgrounds have mental health problems which the self medicate. But the drug services feel their mental health problem needs to be addressed while the mental health services say "we won't work with you until you have come off drugs".

"When people with multiple morbidities have a history of 20 or 30 years of problematic drug misuse, their general health is largely being ignored".

"Some People with painful conditions are being seen as displaying "drug seeking behaviour" when they ask or help. We may need specialist primary care services targeted at the older population."

"At present there is worrying evidence that some health workers view older drug users as having had their chance and having failed - they are a bit forgotten about".

When the full report is completed towards the end of the year it will help the NHS estimate the likely level of need, and the working group will publish a strategy for reducing drug deaths, Mr Liddell said.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“There is a vulnerable group of people who have been using drugs for many years and who experience other chronic medical conditions alongside their drug use. Indeed, as they are getting older, their risks of ill health are greater.

“The Scottish Government funded the Scottish Drugs Forum to identify and understand the current needs of this vulnerable group of drug users and look to predict their future medical and support needs. A report will be published later this year with the preliminary findings being announced on 21 June.

“In Scotland, drug taking in the general adult population is falling and drug taking amongst young people is the lowest in a decade.”