By Bill Heaney
Dumbarton MSP Dame MSP Jackie Baillie has slammed the SNP’s “broken promises” after it was revealed that drugs deaths have again soared.
New data shows that 26 people lost their lives to drugs in West Dunbartonshire in 2023 – up from 20 the previous year.
A total of nine females and 17 males died in the area due to drugs misuse.
The data, published by the National Records of Scotland, reveals drug-related deaths rocketed by 12 percent in Scotland in 2023, when compared with the previous year.
It represents an additional toll of 121 on the earlier figure, bringing the total to 1,172.
Scotland’s drugs death toll is consistently the worst in Europe.
In 2021, the SNP Government launched a National Mission to reduce drugs deaths, with the rate of drug misuse 4.2 times higher in Scotland in 2023 than in 2000, when adjusted for age.
The latest data illustrates the glaring failure of that mission pledge.
Figures also cemented the link between drug use and deprivation, with those in the most deprived areas of Scotland more than 15 times likely to die from drug misuse, when compared to those in the least deprived areas.
Men were also twice as likely to die through drug misuse than women. Opiates or opioids were a factor in eight out of ten of drugs deaths.
In 2022, drug deaths in Scotland were more than double the rate of other UK countries, and almost three times as high as in England.
Jackie Baillie, said: “The SNP pledged to reduce drugs deaths, but these distressing figures show just how far it has failed to live up to its promises.
“Each of these numbers represent a human tragedy and a family who are no doubt still grieving today. I know that many families in my own Dumbarton constituency have experienced such losses.
“The SNP Government, which is still desperately trying to correct its own historic cuts to alcohol and drug services, must stop breaking its promises to families.
“It must urgently address its complete failure to provide enough residential rehab beds, deliver drug checking facilities and finally establish a safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow without any further delay.
“It could not be clearer that Scotland needs change – a Scottish Labour government will deliver it.”
In 2023, there were 1,172 drug misuse deaths registered in Scotland, an increase of 12% (121 deaths) compared with 2022.
- Whilst drug misuse deaths in Scotland have generally been increasing over the last two decades, this is the second lowest number in the last six years
- Drug misuse deaths are still much more common than they were in 2000. After adjusting for age, the rate of drug misuse deaths were 4.2 times as high in 2023 than 2000.
- In 2023, males were twice as likely to have a drug misuse death as females. Most of the increase in the past year was due to male deaths.
- Since 2000, the average age of drug misuse deaths has increased from 32 to 45.
- People in the most deprived areas of Scotland are more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to people in the least deprived areas.
- The association of deprivation with drug misuse deaths is much greater than with other causes of death.
- After adjusting for age, Glasgow City and Dundee City had the highest rates of drug misuse deaths while East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire had the lowest.
- The most common type of drugs implicated in drug misuse deaths in 2023 were opiates/opioids which were implicated in 80% of all deaths.
- The majority (88%) of drug misuse deaths were classified as accidental poisonings, with only 7% classed as intentional self-poisonings.
Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has written to the Health Secretary to demand that SNP ministers announce fresh measures in a statement to Parliament following the news that drug deaths spiralled in Scotland last year.
On Tuesday, new figures showed that there were 1,172 drug deaths in Scotland in 2023. This is an annual increase of 12% and more than double the number of deaths in 2013.
Mr Cole-Hamilton is now calling on the Scottish Government to make an urgent statement to Parliament, as soon as it returns from the summer recess, and in it to agree to take additional steps to tackle the emergency.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie, LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray.
Mr Cole-Hamilton’s letter to the Health Secretary, Neil Gray, is as follows:
I am writing to express my deep concern about the devastating rise in drug deaths and to request that SNP ministers schedule a statement to Parliament to set out further steps that will help stop people dying.
As you know, it has been confirmed that 1,172 people died from a drug death in 2023 – a 12% increase year-on-year. Over the last decade, drug deaths in Scotland have more than doubled, meaning the toll is many times worse than anywhere else in Europe.
In these circumstances, I and many others struggle to understand why earlier this year the Scottish Government saw fit to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy – a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services. We know the harm that was done when Nicola Sturgeon’s, administration cut the funding for drug and alcohol services by 22%.
In the current financial circumstances, I worry that lifeline drugs services could suffer further cuts that impact on their ability to provide critical support to those who need it.
I am therefore writing to ask if the Scottish Government will make a statement to MSPs to set out further steps that will help stop people dying? This should be done as soon as Parliament returns from summer recess.
It is essential that SNP ministers set out how they intend to provide frontline services with the resources they need to tackle this emergency. We need a commitment to 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 present new pathways for treatment and recovery. It will also be important to strengthen the frontline the response to synthetic opioids – including nitazenes 50 times stronger than heroin – through enhanced information, detection and treatment.
Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2023 | National Records of Scotland
National Records of Scotland http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk
|
Drug-related deaths* |
|
|
2020 |
1339 |
|
2021 |
1330 |
|
2022 |
1051 |
|
2023 |
1172 |
|
Sub-total |
4892 |
|
Suspected drug deaths** |
|
|
Oct-Dec, 2019 |
319 |
|
2024 |
488 |
|
Sub-total |
807 |
|
TOTAL |
5699 |
*Drug-related deaths are published by NRS here.
**Suspected drug deaths for October to December 2019 are included as the former First Minister stated during FMQs on 12 September 2019 that “The recent drug deaths figures show that we are facing a public health emergency…”
Scottish Government National Mission: https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs/national-mission/
Data by local authority can be accessed at:https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrscotland.gov.uk%2Ffiles%2F%2Fstatistics%2Fdrug-related-deaths%2F23%2Fdrug-related-deaths-23-data.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK