MORE than a third of people dying from drug abuse in Scotland are parents, according to official analysis.

In one year, 273 children north of the border lost their mother or father to drug misuse - the third highest figure in recent years.

The report also showed three quarters of those killed by drugs in 2013 were men and most lived in Scotland's more deprived communities.

David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said: "Today's report is a further illustration of the impact of problem drug use. The report attempts to describe the human stories behind what can sometimes seem brutal statistics... To lose a parent as a child is, of course, a personal tragedy and sadly this kind of traumatic event can itself be linked to poor outcomes for children, including mental health problems and substance use."

The probe into drug deaths in 2013 was carried out by the statistics arm of NHS Scotland.

It highlighted that the age of victims is rising, with those mid-thirty or older making up 66% of the deaths in 2013, compared to 50% in 2009.

More children lost a parent or parental figure in 2013 than 2009 - although the total is down on 331 in 2011. In total, in 2013 36% of those killed through drug use were parents.

Matt Forde, head of child protection charity the NSPCC Scotland, said: "Children who lose a parent to drug abuse need support with bereavement as well as the instability, lack of care, hindered education and development problems they may already be experiencing.

"Through our FED UP and Parents Under Pressure programmes we are learning about how we can help drug abusing parents address the impact this can have on their children. Drug support workers must: 'think family' rather than just seeing a parent as another adult. Early identification of problems, prioritising parents' access to treatment and intensive parenting support can all make an enormous difference to the health and future well being of a child whose parent abuses drugs. "

A total of 526 drug-related deaths were recorded in Scotland in 2013, and 448 - which were classed as unintentional - were examined for the new report.

Nine out of ten victims were known to be using drugs prior to their death and 53% had been in contact with drug treatment services in the previous six months. More than a third, 37%, had been prescribed an antidepressant in the month before they died. In total, 71% had had contact with some kind of public service - drug treatment, hospital, police or prison - prior to their death.

Paul Wheelhouse, minister for community safety & legal affairs, said: "We welcome the fact that the number of young people dying from drug related causes is at the lowest level since National Drugs Related Deaths Database (NDRDD) recording began. This is in line with previous figures that show drug taking amongst young people is at the lowest rate for over a decade and the level of drug use amongst the general adult population is decreasing.

"However, these figures also show that Scotland is dealing with an aging cohort of drug users. We are continuing to work alongside our sponsored organisations to investigate the health and social care needs of this vulnerable group and look at how we can improve the quality and range of treatment and support available to them throughout the country."