Scottish drug deaths drop to lowest level for five years

The fig of radical who died owed to cause misuse successful Scotland past twelvemonth fell by 279 to the lowest level for 5 years.

Figures from National Records of Scotland said 1,051 radical died of amerciable cause misuse successful 2022.

It is the archetypal important driblet aft respective years of grounds precocious totals.

However, Scotland continues to person the worst cause decease complaint successful the UK and the remainder of Europe.

Despite the autumn successful cause misuse deaths, they are inactive much than 3 times arsenic communal arsenic they were 2 decades ago.

Glasgow City and Dundee City person had the highest rates of cause misuse deaths implicit the past 5 years portion East Renfrewshire and Aberdeenshire had the lowest rates.

Opiates and opioids, including heroin, morphine and methadone, were implicated successful much than 8 retired of 10 cause related deaths successful 2022.

The bulk of cause misuse deaths were classified arsenic accidental poisonings, with 7% classed arsenic intentional self-poisonings.

The complaint of cause poisoning deaths successful Scotland was 2.7 times arsenic precocious arsenic the UK mean successful 2021, the astir caller twelvemonth that information is disposable for the UK arsenic a whole.