Almost 600 suspected drug deaths in first half of 2024

Almost 600 people are suspected to have died from drugs in the first six months of this year, new figures show.

Statistics compiled by Police Scotland and released by the Government on Tuesday show 589 suspected drug deaths have been logged.

The figures are based on provisional data from the force and represent a 2% drop from the same period last year.

But the figure in the 12 months up to June of this year was 5% higher than that from the previous year.

Of the recorded deaths, 74% were men, while 63% were aged between 35 and 54.

Greater Glasgow police division recorded the highest number of suspected deaths with 133, followed by Lanarkshire with 60 and Edinburgh City with 56.

In the three months between April and June of this year, the total number of suspected drug deaths dropped by 16%, but the report published on Tuesday stressed that the figure “fluctuates from quarter to quarter”.

Health Secretary Neil Gray sent his “heartfelt condolences” to those who have lost a loved one through drugs, adding: “We will continue to do all we can to reduce harm and deaths.

“Through our National Mission on drugs we are taking a wide range of evidence-based measures to reduce harm and save lives.

“These include widening access to treatment and support through the implementation of our medication assisted treatment standards, increasing the availability of residential rehabilitation, supporting the opening of a safer drug consumption facility pilot, widening access to Naloxone and delivering drug-checking facilities.

“We have made a record £112 million available to ADPs (alcohol and drug partnerships) in 2024-25 for treatment and support services and national mission funds have now backed more than 300 grassroots organisations and projects, helping to support more than 33,000 people.”

But Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the figures were “nothing short of a national tragedy”.

“Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is worse than anywhere else in Europe,” he said.

“Despite deaths more than doubling over the last decade, the SNP government have chosen to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy, amounting to a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services.

“When this issue comes before parliament later this week, I want to see ministers committing to fresh measures to stop people dying.

“This includes rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities – centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and open up new pathways for treatment and recovery.

“My party also wants to see a much stronger frontline response to synthetic opioids – including nitazenes, which are 50 times more powerful than heroin – through enhanced information, detection and treatment.”

Scottish Tory MSP Sue Webber described the figure as “appallingly high”, adding: “We know that drug deaths increased last year, and the SNP are continuing to take their eye off the ball on tackling this national emergency.

“John Swinney shamefully did not even mention this crisis in his Programme for Government speech last week.

“Almost 600 families suffered the loss of a loved one due to drugs in the first half of this year and drug deaths remain our national shame under the SNP.

“As the SNP keep talking, people continue to lose their lives.

“Ministers must finally give their backing to the Right to Recovery Bill which is before Parliament.”