Drop in Renfrewshire drug deaths but numbers remains "too high"

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Drug-related deaths in Renfrewshire have fallen for a second year but remain “too high”, new figures have revealed.A tragic 39 people died after taking illicit drugs in 2022, with heroin and street Valium continuing to tighten their grip on Renfrewshire’s most vulnerable people.Health chiefs described the drop in deaths from an all-time high of 67 in 2020 as “welcome” but admitted much more needed to be done to reduce the number further.The reduction in drug-related deaths – from 50 in 2021 to 39 in 2022 – means Renfrewshire has dropped out of the top five local authorities for drug deaths in Scotland.In 2020, it sat just behind the major cities of Glasgow and Dundee but now sits seventh on the shameful table.A spokesman for Renfrewshire health and social care partnership (HSCP) – the body responsible for caring for people with drug and alcohol addiction – said: “The latest figures show a welcome reduction in the number of drug-related deaths in Renfrewshire for the second consecutive year.Renfrewshire Live, the new free app dedicated to bringing you around the clock breaking news, is now available to download.Powered by the Paisley Daily Express, Renfrewshire Live is your go-to source for news, features and sport with live coverage provided direct to the app, seven days a week.The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages.There is also a dedicated St Mirren section that will follow every kick of the ball with the Buddies. Available on both Android and Apple.