More than 400 suspected drug deaths recorded in Scotland in four months

More than 400 suspected drug deaths were recorded between November and February, figures show.

Statistics released by Public Health Scotland – reported based on initial investigations by Police Scotland – show an average of 96 suspected deaths every month between December and February – the same figure recorded in the same period the year before.

A total of 116 deaths were recorded in November, 93 in December, 108 in January and 86 in February, according to the Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response system, totalling 403 during the period.

The average weekly number of suspected deaths sat at 22, lower than the same period in 2020-21 when it was 33 and around the same level as the previous year.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the figures “show that Scotland’s drug death catastrophe continues to rumble on”.

He added: “The Scottish Government has made a series of grand proclamations but it is still struggling to make a dent in drugs deaths.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for the immediate introduction of specialist drug commissions, the decriminalisation of drug misuse, and for safe consumption spaces to be available across the country.

“The Scottish Government needs to offer families more than cheap talk.”

Drugs minister Elena Whitham said: “The drug death rate in Scotland remains unacceptably high and every loss of life is a tragedy.

“While I am cautiously encouraged by a stabilisation in the number of suspected drug deaths, we must not draw too many conclusions from this headline data alone.

“This work is part of a wider surveillance approach being undertaken by Public Health Scotland.

“I am focused on supporting those affected by problem substance use, delivering real change on the ground and implementing evidence-based approaches we know can help save lives.

“We are committed to getting more people into the form of treatment which works best for them and putting people with lived and living experience at the heart of our national mission, which is supported by £250 million over the course of this Parliament.

“As our top priority, we continue to work with partners to ensure that people are getting the treatment that is right for them.”

Dr Seonaid Anderson, vice-chair of the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said the figures show there has been “no major improvement” in the battle against drug deaths.

She added: “Drug deaths are driven by poverty, past trauma, domestic abuse and generational substance misuse. These social factors will take years to address.

“We need better access to services, choice and support as well as joined up services across our local communities so there are treatment options in place – for those who so desperately need them.”