Cocaine hospital stays reach highest ever level amid 14 per cent soar in drug admissions

The rate of Scots being admitted to hospital due to cocaine use has soared to the highest ever level - as new figures showed overall drug admissions have risen by 14 per cent in the space of a year.

The revelation comes after figures last year showed Scotland is the drug deaths capital of Europe - with 1,172 people reported to have died from drugs in 2023, a 12 per cent increase from the previous year.

Plastic packet, two lines and pile of cocaine

New statistics from the National Records of Scotland show that there were 11,136 drug-related hospital stays in 2023-24, a 14 per cent increase from the 9,654 admissions in 2022-23.

The European Age-sex Standardised Rate (EASR) of drug-related hospital stays was 212 stays per 100,000 population last year - an increase from 186 stays per 100,000 in 2022-23.

Read more: Why 'shocking' 12% drug deaths rise in Scotland was worse than expected

The rate of stays for drug poisoning and overdose increased to 27 stays per 100,000 population, up from 22 stays per 100,000 population in 2022-23.

The 2023-24 statistics reveal a new peak for cocaine hospital stays with 39 per 100,000 population recorded, above the previous record of 36 stays per 100,00 in 2019-20.

Cocaine was the fourth most common substance, for major drug groups, noted in drug-related hospital stays in 2023/24 and showed the largest rate increase, 41 per cent, compared to the previous year.

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Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said: “This is yet another distressing reminder of the scale of Scotland’s drugs crisis.

"Alongside rising numbers of hospital stays, the cocaine trade is fuelling a wave of violence in Edinburgh and across the central belt. One way to tackle that is to boost drug services and offer help to those who misuse drugs.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader and health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, said: “These shocking figures show that Scotland’s drug crisis continues to wreak havoc with people’s lives.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie | PA

“Years have passed since the SNP declared a public health emergency on drug deaths, and yet the number of people hospitalised for overdoses is rising.

“It’s clear more must be done to get those struggling with addiction both the urgent help and long-term treatment they need.

“We need a joined-up approach across government to not only save lives but support recovery.”

Scottish Tory drug and alcohol spokeswoman Annie Wells said the statistics should be a “source of shame” for the Scottish Government.

Annie Wells suffered a barrage of abuse after posting a picture of her dog.

She said: “These deeply alarming stats highlight the SNP’s abject failure to get a grip on the drugs emergency which escalated while ministers took their eye off the ball.

“The surge in drug-related hospital stays and overdoses suggest that this national crisis is getting worse, not better and, as ever with the SNP, it’s those from the poorest communities who suffer most.

“Lives are being lost and communities torn apart while nationalist ministers sit on their hands and pin all their hopes on a drugs consumption room being the solution.”

Read more: Douglas Ross warned drug recovery bill could mean 'more people suffering greater harm'

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As part of our national mission on drugs, we’re taking a wide range of evidence-based measures including opening the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility pilot, working towards drug-checking facilities and widening access to treatment, residential rehab and life-saving naloxone.

“We’re working hard to respond to the growing threat from cocaine and polydrug use, and from highly dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes which are being found in a range of substances in an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply.

“Such synthetics increase the risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death. Because of their strength we would urge people to carry extra, life-saving, naloxone kits.”