Suspected drug deaths drop by 28%, new figures show
Scotland has been grappling with a drug deaths crisis in recent years.
The number of suspected drug deaths in the most recent quarter have dropped by 28%, figures show.
Statistics released as part of Public Health Scotland’s Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (Radar) system, show the number of suspected deaths between June and August of this year sat at 232.
A suspected drug death is logged when a police officer raises suspicions when attending the death of a person, but has not been confirmed by toxicology screening.
The latest Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) report is out, which presents changes on drug trends, harms and use of services in Scotland to inform actions that reduce drug harms.
It also includes an updated alert on nitazenes.
View both 🔽https://t.co/3j3KI1bWs8 pic.twitter.com/ikWDJmnAG2
— Public Health Scotland (@P_H_S_Official) October 27, 2026
The figure for the most recent quarter showed a 28% drop from the previous three months, as well as a 21% drop compared to the same period in 2025 and a 10% dip compared to the same quarter in 2024.
Meanwhile, the number of times the overdose-reversing medication naloxone was administered dropped by almost one third compared to last year.
Between June and August, the Scottish Ambulance Service administered the drug 847 times, a drop of 1% from the previous quarter and 31% from the same period in 2025.
The figure also dropped by 22% since 2024.
However, the number of drug-related attendances at A&E has continued to increase, with 1,288 in the most recent quarter, compared to 1,172 the previous three months, a rise of 10%.
Compared to the same period last year, the figure was 8% higher and a 15% increase since 2024.