The 'welcome' 37% result in Scotland's 'heart-breaking' drug death figures

Suspected drug deaths in Scotland fell by 11 per cent during 2024, the latest Police Scotland data has revealed.

The force’s management information recorded 1,065 suspected drug deaths throughout the year – 132 fewer than in 2023.

A discarded drug needle. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Males accounted for 74 per cent of the deaths, which was broadly in line with previous years. There were 34 suspected drug deaths in the under 25 age group, which was 37 per cent fewer than the previous year.

Health Secretary Neil Gray welcomed the reduction, but said more must be done to bring suspected drug deaths down further.

He said: “My condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one. Every death is one too many and despite the welcome reduction in these figures on suspected deaths, they remain far too high.

“We want every person experiencing harm from drug use to be able access the support they need and through our national mission on drugs, we are taking a wide range of evidence-based measures to reduce harm and save lives.

“These include opening the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility pilot, working towards the opening of drug-checking facilities, and widening access to residential rehab and life-saving naloxone.

“Funding for more than 300 grassroots projects has also supported more than 33,000 people.”

The figures have been published in the wake of The Thistle - the UK’s first drug consumption facility - opening in Glasgow’s east end earlier this year. In its first seven weeks, users have made more than 1,000 visits to the facility to take drugs

The Thistle unit will enable people to consume illegal drugs under the supervision of clinicians, with the goal of reducing fatal and non-fatal overdoses (Picture: John Devlin)

Mr Gray said record funding for alcohol and drug programmes had been protected in the Budget and now stood at more than £160 million.

Conservative drug spokeswoman Annie Wells said: “These horrendous, heart-breaking figures confirm that Scotland remains in the grip of a drugs death emergency on the SNP’s watch.

“Nicola Sturgeon admitted taking her eye off the ball and, as a result, Scotland has by far the worst rate of drug fatalities, not just in the UK, but across Europe.

“Every drug death is a tragedy for that person’s loved ones – and families across Scotland continue to be let down by complacent nationalist ministers.

“The SNP shamefully cut rehab places and are now pinning all their hopes on drug consumption rooms as the solution to the crisis.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP described the amount of lives claimed last year by Scotland’s “drugs emergency” as a “national tragedy”.

“We need to do everything we can to stop people dying,” he said. “I am proud that in the recent Budget, my party secured additional money for drug and alcohol services.

“As a former youth worker, I was also pleased to secure support for a new facility for mothers and their babies born addicted to drugs. I know how important it is that people don’t start out on the wrong path. But there is still much more to do.

"Alongside support for alcohol and drug partnerships, Liberal Democrats want to see the Scottish Government rolling out a nationwide network of safe consumption rooms, new drug checking facilities and giving people who are misusing drugs treatment instead of prison.”