Suspected drug deaths in Scotland down by 10%, latest quarterly figures show

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Suspected drugs deaths have fallen by 10 per cent in the latest quarterly data, with drug-related attendances at A&E seeing a similar decrease.Incidents of naloxone administration - which can prevent heroin overdoses - were also down by 30 per cent in September to November last year.The latest Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (Radar) report noted that the contamination of illicit drugs with toxic substances is “common and widespread across drug types”.

It said: “There remains an urgent need for hospital toxicology and accessible drug checking services across the country.”There has also been an increase in novel benzodiazepines circulating in Scotland, while cocaine continues to play a leading role in drug harm.Between September and November, there were 215 suspected drugs deaths.

This figure was 10 per cent lower than the previous quarter and down by 15 per cent from the same time last year.Drug-related attendances at A&E were down 10 per cent from the previous quarter and 16 per cent lower than in 2023.The Scottish Ambulance Service recorded 700 naloxone administrations over the time period, down by 30 per cent from the previous quarter and down 34 per cent from the same period in 2023.The figures do not include the effect of the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility, which opened in Glasgow in January.

The Thistle Centre saw 131 attendances in its first week of operation.Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Through our five-year, £250 million National Mission on drugs we’re taking a wide range of actions, including working towards the opening of drug-checking facilities which would enable us to respond faster to emerging drug trends, opening the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility pilot, and widening