People addicted to cocaine, ecstasy and alcohol are having to attend accident and emergency departments because most drugs services are focused on heroin, according to an expert.

David Liddell, director of Scottish Drugs Forum claimed that while opiate use continues to be Scotland's biggest problem in terms of substance misuse, more help is needed for users of other drugs.

He was speaking as a major international survey revealed that the top three drugs people reported using in Scotland in the last year were cannabis, cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy). The Global Drugs Survey also found that people were more likely to turn up at A&E seeking treatment for cocaine, ecstasy or alcohol in Scotland than in other parts of the UK.

In the survey of drug usesrs nearly a third of cannabis users (30 per cent) and 36 per cent of cocaine users wanted to use the drugs less although smaller numbers said they would like help to do that.

Mr Liddell said: "The majority of drug services have developed in Scotland to respond to opiate use and whilst of course this continues to be our main problem, it does suggest that people seeking help with their use of other drugs find it difficult to access the appropriate help and support.

"This is evidenced by higher use of emergency services for alcohol, cocaine and MDMA," he said, adding that the results suggested harm reduction advice continued to be necessary.

The proportion of Scots reporting hazardous levels of drinking was also significantly above average compared with more than 50 other global nations covered by the report.

The study, now in its fourth year, looks use of recreational drugs around the world and claims to recruit younger drug users for its research so that it can identify new trends, allowing health and policy officials to respond sooner. Carried out by Global Drugs Survey, a London-based independent research company, the report's researchers spoke to 120,000 people in over 50 global nations and spoke to 708 people in Scotland.

Across the UK, it found that more cocaine users were being admitted to casualty departments because of problems caused by more pure varieties of the drug being available than they were used to.

UK drug users are also increasingly using the 'darknet' - encrypted and anonymised online sources - to buy drugs, with the rate of purchase by this route having doubled since 2014, the report says.

Meanwhile psychedelic drugs are rising in popularity as are synthetic cannabinoids such as 'Spice' - which the report says are more likely to lead to A&E presentations than any other drug. Many countries, including the UK, have tried to make them illegal the report says, but with limited success. "Despite international regulation that has tried to ban many of these compounds – the profit (10,000 % +) that can be made from their retail and distribution rivals that of cocaine but with a fraction of the risk of interference from law enforcement agencies. "

David Liddell said: "The Global Drug Survey gives a useful insight in to the range and levels of drugs used in Scotland by people who often do not engage with drug treatment services. This report highlights the gap in service provision for people who would like to cut down their use of cocaine or cannabis in Scotland and reinforces other research about Scotland’s relationship with problematic alcohol use."