Almost a quarter of Scottish drug deaths were in Glasgow

Almost a quarter of drug deaths in Scotland have occurred in the Glasgow area, according to new statistics.
There has been a drop in the number of drug deaths in Glasgow.There has been a drop in the number of drug deaths in Glasgow.
There has been a drop in the number of drug deaths in Glasgow.

Police Scotland has released its latest data, showing the number of suspected drug deaths between July and September 2021.

In the Greater Glasgow area there were 78 drug deaths - almost a quarter of the 285 drug deaths in Scotland.

Figures dropping

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Compared to the same period last year, the number of drug deaths in Glasgow has fallen.

In the July-September 2020 period there were 82 suspected drug deaths - four more than in the same period in 2021.

For 2021, there have been a total of 265 drug deaths in Greater Glasgow.

What is the Scottish Government saying?

Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance says that despite a slight decline in Scotland (40 fewer suspected drug deaths) there is still much work to be done to turn this public health emergency around.

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Ms Constance said: “Firstly, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

“While there has been a slight downturn in the number of suspected drug deaths, it is still far too high, and I am clear there is much hard work and many challenges ahead if we are to truly turn the tide on this emergency.

“These quarterly reports were commissioned to provide more regular reporting of data on drug death trends in Scotland so everyone involved in our national mission remains focused on the work we must do to get more people into the treatment which works for them as quickly as possible, regardless of where they live and this afternoon I will update Parliament on progress on the implementation of MAT standards across the country.

“The £250 million we are investing in tackling this public health emergency will make a difference. I am working to ensure it reaches front-line services as quickly as possible and that every single penny will count as we continue to prioritise our efforts to turn this crisis around.”

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