28 July 2022
National Records of Scotland confirm almost no change in rate of drug-related deaths
New statistics show that there were 1330 deaths in 2021 – the second highest number ever recorded. There were 1339 in 2020. Scotland’s death rate remains the worst in Europe and five times the rate in England.
David Liddell, CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum says
“Today’s statistics are a record of personal, community and national loss. The tragedy is that each of these preventable deaths represent an on-going systemic failure in to address poverty and support vulnerable people and their families.
“High quality treatment is a key part of drug-death prevention and we have to get that right. We need a system that empowers people and addresses wider issues as well as substance use. To deliver that we need to ensure staff are resourced, trained and supported to carry out the crucial work they do in building those empowering relationships that save and change lives.”