Official statistics for 2021 show decrease of just 1%
While welcoming an end to seven annual increases in drugs deaths, Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance made clear the situation remains “unacceptable”, and work will continue at pace to address the emergency.
The latest National Records of Scotland statistics show 1,330 people lost their lives in 2021 – a decrease of 1% and Ms Constance says it is clear there remains much work to do to save lives.
A national mission was announced in January 2021 to tackle rising death deaths in Scotland with additional funding of £250 million over the course of this Parliament.
The first year of the national mission has seen the introduction of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards, the expansion of residential rehabilitation provision, the setting of a new treatment target, increased funding to community and grass-roots organisations and the laying of ground work for innovation such as Safer Drug Consumption Facilities.
1,330 people lost their lives to drug misuse in Scotland in 2021, according to latest figures published by National Records of Scotland.
The number is 1% lower than 2020 which makes it the first year since 2013 in which drug misuse deaths have not increased. However, it is still the second highest annual total on record.
Of those who died from the misuse of drugs, 65% were aged between 35 and 54 years old and more than two thirds (70%) were men.
Dundee City had the highest age-standardised drug misuse death rate of all local authority areas (45.2 per 100,000 population for the 5-year period 2017-2021), followed by Glasgow City (44.4) and Inverclyde (35.7).
Julie Ramsay, Vital Events Statistician at NRS, said: “Drug misuse deaths have increased substantially over the past few decades – there were more than five times as many deaths in 2021 compared with 1996. 2021 is the first year since 2013 that drug misuse deaths have not increased.
“In 2021, after adjusting for age, people in the most deprived areas were more than 15 times as likely to have a drug misuse death as those in the least deprived areas. This ratio has widened over the past two decades.”
In 93% of all drug misuse deaths, more than one drug was found to be present in the body, and the type of drugs that are implicated in deaths has been changing. In 2015 there were 191 deaths involving benzodiazepines, last year there were 918, near five times as many.
This increase has mostly been driven by street benzodiazepines rather than those which are prescribed. Of all drug misuse deaths in 2021, 84% involved opiates or opioids (such as heroin, morphine and methadone). 69% involved benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and etizolam).
In 2020 (the most recent year available for the rest of the UK) Scotland’s drug misuse rate was 3.7 times that for the UK as a whole, and higher than that of any European country.
Ms Constance said: “Scotland suffers a terrible toll from drug deaths, leaving families grieving and in pain and my heart goes out to all those affected by the death of a loved one through drugs.
“These latest statistics provide yet more heart-breaking reading, and the situation remains unacceptable. While there is so much more work to do, every life saved means one less family grieving and I am determined we can use this halt in the upward trend of recent years as a platform for real change.
“My focus now is on taking action and delivering new investment to improve services and get more people into the treatment which works for them. Residential rehabilitation is one of a range of treatment options available and today I am visiting River Garden Auchincruive to speak to residents and staff about the services provided. Later I will be meeting some families affected by a loved one’s drug use and asking what more we can do to help.
“I am concerned about the rise in deaths among women and will look to expand on current steps we are taking including the provision of two Mother and Child Residential Recovery Houses which will enable women to receive support while staying with their children.
“Despite regional differences, we are focused on a national mission and I’ll continue to use all the powers at my disposal, including holding local leaders to account in implementing the MAT standards, to drive improvements across Scotland.
“We are already implementing many of the recommendations from The Drug Deaths Taskforce, which issued its final recommendations last week, and I will report back on further actions to Parliament.
“In the first year of the National Mission we built the foundations for change. Now, with the backing of £250 million over the course of this Parliament, we will deliver on those foundations and our new Oversight Group will provide scrutiny, challenge and expert advice on the National Mission as we continue our efforts to improve and save lives.”
River Garden Operations Manager Mikael Heddelin said: “We offer a very different approach to recovery which allows residents to leave behind their addictions.
“Importantly that comes from communal support of peers and meaningful and qualitative work via our on-site social enterprises. We provide training, help develop competence in a range of areas and facilitate reintegration back into society.
“Peer support and lived experience are key elements in the recovery journey at River Garden. Our ethos and culture allows our residents to recover without stigma and the local community play a huge part in what we do.”
River Garden resident Paul said: “I grew up in care and began using drugs at the age of 12. Throughout my life I tried various rehabs, none of them worked.
“At the age of 47 I joined River Garden. I have been here almost two years and I have purpose and self-worth. I’m happy and healthy and I feel good about myself.
“River Garden has been totally transformational for me. I really enjoy the work and the camaraderie. I have made many friends amongst the volunteers, the visitors
and the contactors who work at River Garden.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs commented: ““My deepest condolences are with the family and friends of those who have died due to drugs.
“In Lothian the number of people who died due to drug misuse last year has doubled from ten years ago.
“SNP Ministers approach to tackling drug deaths is an unequivocal failure with drug deaths continuing to rise in Lothian for the last six years.
“If Angela Constance, the Minister for Drugs Policy, can’t reduce drug deaths in her own region of Lothian, then this does not bode well for the rest of Scotland.
“SNP and Green Ministers must get on board with the Scottish Conservatives Right to Rehab Bill, to ensure that everyone who needs rehabilitation for drugs has access to it.
“These latest shocking numbers clearly suggest that there is a particular problem in turning around the situation in Lothian. If that is the case, then SNP Ministers must consider direct control over drug services to drive urgent reforms.”
Link to National Records of Scotland Drug-related deaths in Scotland
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