Scotland's drug deaths: Appeal for 'substantial reduction' in figures

The figures for 2020 showed 1,339 people in Scotland died from drugs, the highest number in Europe.

Scotland’s drug-death rate was 4.9 times higher than in England and Wales and four times higher than Sweden and Norway – the European nations with the next highest fatality rate.

But interim figures for suspected drug deaths for January to March of this year showed a 27 per cent reduction from the same quarter in 2021 – hinting at progress potentially turning a corner.

Ahead of today’s figures being released, the Scottish Conservatives have warned the Scottish Government it would be “shameful” to spin the figures as a success if Scotland’s fatality rate continues to be the worst in Europe.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, health spokesperson for the Scottish Tories, said only a major reduction in fatalities would be a sign of meaningful progress.

He said: “Scotland’s drug-deaths epidemic is a national tragedy which ought to shame the SNP Government.

“The number of fatalities has risen year on year on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch to last year’s appalling record high of 1,339.

“These figures mean Scotland has not just the worst death rate per head of population in Europe – but the worst by such an enormous margin that it’s hard to get your head around.

“We desperately need to see a substantial reduction in the number of fatalities when the 2021 figures are announced tomorrow.”

His comments follow a report from the drug deaths taskforce last week which called for a cultural change and to end the discrimination around addiction.

It made 20 recommendations with 139 specific actions to be taken by the Scottish and UK governments.

The recommendations include moving towards a care approach rather than a punitive one, and legislation on safe drug consumption rooms.

Dr Gulhane added: “We desperately need to see a substantial reduction in the number of fatalities when the 2021 figures are announced tomorrow.

“The SNP cannot claim success when we’re still losing 1,000 people every single year.

“It would be shameful if they tried to spin Scotland still having the worst drug-death rate in Europe as some kind of victory.”

And he urged SNP ministers to back the Right to Recovery bill, proposed by the Tories, which would enshrine in law the right of everyone with addiction problems to receive treatment.

Earlier this week Public Health Scotland published a new report revealing that more than one in three people who died from a drug-related death in 2018 was a parent or guardian to a child – which resulted in 566 children losing a parent or guardian to drugs.

Scottish Labour spokesperson for drugs policy, Claire Baker, said: “This heartbreaking report is an urgent reminder of the need to tackle Scotland’s drug death crisis and save lives.

“These tragic deaths are devastating families, with hundreds of children having lost a parent and many more people having lost a loved one.

“Every single drug-related death is preventable, and each one is a tragedy.

“The Scottish Government need to respond to the recommendations of the Scottish drug death taskforce and deliver the meaningful change we desperately need, including investing in services and finally delivering the MAT standards.”

SNP Drugs Policy Minister, Angela Constance, warned that “every life is a tragedy, every loss of life represents a grieving family”.

She added: “My focus has always been on implementing what works. We need to invest in services and reform services.

“We need to be brave about following the evidence, but also recognising that also, we are talking about individuals here - so different people will need different types of support at different times.

“We need to get that all-government, all-Scotland approach. This is a public health emergency but we’re trying to mend broken lives.”