Scottish Drugs Forum released this statement in response to the release of the latest figures on drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2018.

Lack of access to treatment and prescribing practice contribute to drug death figures.

Key points

• National Records of Scotland have today confirmed that 1187 people died of a drugs overdose in Scotland in 2018.  This represents a 27% increase from last year.  Of these deaths, 86% involved heroin or other opioids. 47% of deaths involved methadone which may or may not have been prescribed to the person. The vast majority of deaths involved more than one substance.  (There were 7 methadone-only deaths and 10 cocaine-only deaths)

The following are significant factors in understanding these statistics :

• Compared with the rest of the UK Scotland has a high number of people with an opiate-based drug problem
• Compared with the rest of the UK Scotland has a low number of people in drug treatment – only 40% of people with a drug problem are in treatment
• Waits for opioid substitution therapy are over 6 months in some areas of Scotland
• In Scotland a large proportion  of people on opioid substitution therapy are on sub-optimal does of methadone or buprenorphine in contravention of UK clinical guidelines and recommendation of the World Health Organisation
• Treatment retention rates in some areas are low , particularly for the most vulnerable and there is a lack of follow-up of people who drop out or are pushed out of services.

Read full report here