Scotland's drug death 'tragedy' as 1007 recorded in nine months

The highest number of suspected drug deaths occurred in the Greater Glasgow region, with 265 fatalities in the first nine months of the year, the equivalent of one nearly every day.

This was followed by Lanarkshire with 98 and then the city of Edinburgh and the North East, both with 86.

The most recent quarterly figures from the police reveal 285 suspected drug deaths in the three-month period, 13% fewer than the 241 between April and June and 31 fewer than June to September 2020.

National Record of Scotland figures – where drug-related causes are listed on death certificates – show Scotland had the highest drug death rate in Europe, with 1,339 people dying in 2020.

The latest Police Scotland figures, which record suspected causes of deaths, now list 1,371 suspected drug deaths over the 12 months to September 2021 – the fifth-highest 12-month period on record.

Scotland’s drugs minister Angela Constance said: “Firstly, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

“While there has been a slight downturn in the number of suspected drug deaths, it is still far too high, and I am clear there is much hard work and many challenges ahead if we are to truly turn the tide on this emergency.

“These quarterly reports were commissioned to provide more regular reporting of data on drug death trends in Scotland so everyone involved in our national mission remains focused on the work we must do to get more people into the treatment which works for them as quickly as possible, regardless of where they live, and this afternoon I will update Parliament on progress on the implementation of MAT (medication assisted treatment) standards across the country.

“The £250 million we are investing in tackling this public health emergency will make a difference.

“I am working to ensure it reaches frontline services as quickly as possible and that every single penny will count as we continue to prioritise our efforts to turn this crisis around.”

Commenting on the report, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson for Drug Policy Claire Baker said that progress has been "far too slow".

She added: "Every single drug related death is avoidable and every single one is a tragedy.

“These devastating figures are a sobering reminder of how high the stakes are – and they must be a call to action.

“I do hope the recent drop we see in this report marks the start of some real improvement, but the fact remains the long-term trend is still moving upward, and progress has been far too slow tackling that.

“We need faster and more decisive action to save lives and get people the help they need.

“The SNP must press ahead to deliver safe consumption rooms as part of a package of harm reduction policies.

“We also need to invest in treatment and support services so that that everyone can access the help they need, when they need it.

“We cannot afford to waste time when so many lives are being lost.”

Professor Angela Thomas, of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said: “The college is encouraged by what appears to be a small decrease in the number of drug-related deaths, recently.

“We hope that this is the start of a trend in the right direction, towards Scotland getting to grips with the drug deaths crisis. It is clear that there is much work yet to do.

“We are supportive of the recent public campaign aiming to reduce stigma towards people who use drugs.

“Reducing stigma is one of many tools available to policy-makers in their efforts to reduce drug-related deaths, along with Medication Assisted Treatments (MAT) which we also support.

“In a report we published last March, we highlighted additional policies which our fellows and members said could help to reduce drug deaths. This includes the introduction of safe consumption facilities and a rollout of heroin-assisted treatment across all centres in Scotland.”