Latest drug deaths data for Scotland published

Latest drug deaths data for Scotland published

1,172 people died due to drugs in 2023, according to latest statistics published by National Records of Scotland.

This is an increase of 121 deaths compared with 2022. The average age of drug misuse deaths has also increased from 32 to 45 since 2000.

Opiates and opioids, including heroin, morphine and methadone were implicated in 80% of all deaths. Almost nine out of 10 drug misuse deaths were classified as accidental poisonings, with 7% classed as intentional self-poisonings.

The College has consistenly supported the concept of safer drugs consumption facilities, as well as other interventions such as the rollout of a heroin-assisted treatment programme across Scotland, to reduce the unacceptable level of drug deaths.

In 2021 we published a major report Drug Deaths in Scotland: an increasingly medical problem backing safer consumption facilities - along with a number of other policies - and have worked with the Faculty of Public Health and others to press governments to support a pilot.