DRUG DEATH DISGRACE

Public health crisis worsens as figures show 10% surge in drug-related fatalities | Shocking statistics reveal 100 Scots are dying every month from overdoses

- DAN VEVERS and PAUL HUTCHEON

A HUNDRED Scots are dying every month from drug overdoses as deaths surged by a shocking 10 per cent last year.

The number of people dying because of suspected drug use leapt to 1197 in 2023 – up by 105 on the previous year.

Campaigners and politicians reacted with alarm to the findings, coming after a slight slowdown of the drug deaths epidemic in recent years.

They hit out at the “inadequate” response from the SNP government and warned “well-meaning words won’t stop people dying”.

The government began publishing figures on deaths the police believe are a result of drugs following all-time high figures over several years.

From 2014 to 2020, Scotland saw record breaking over dose fatalities every year, rising from 613 in 2014 to a peak of 1339 in 2020.

It fell fractionally to 1330 the following year, before a larger drop to 1051 in 2022.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon previously admitted her government “took our eye off the ball” as Scotland racked up the worst drugs death rate in Europe.

Police Scotland’s rolling 12-month total of suspected drug deaths is separate from the official annual figures but it’s expected they will produce similar findings.

Drugs policy activist Peter Krykant, of social justice charity Cranstoun, told the Record that the news was “not good”.

He added: “It’s disappointing. I don’t see things getting much better in the years ahead.