Drug deaths in Perth and Kinross rose by over a third last year as they reached record levels across the country.
Thirty-four drug deaths were recorded across the region last year, according to data released on Friday by the National Records of Scotland.
That was a increase from 25 in 2019 when deaths actually dropped in the region from 30.
Across Scotland, 1339 drug deaths were recorded in 2020, an increase of five per cent from 2019.
Other key findings of the report show:
• The number of drug-related deaths has increased substantially over the last 20 years – there were 4.5 times as many deaths in 2020 compared with 2000.
• Men were 2.7 times as likely to have a drug-related death than women, after adjusting for age.
• After adjusting for age, people in the most deprived parts of the country were 18 times as likely to die from a drug-related death as those in the least deprived.
• Almost two thirds of all drug-related deaths were of people aged between 35 and 54. The average age of drug-related deaths has increased from 32 to 43 over the last 20 years.
• Scotland’s drug-death rate continues to be over 3.5 times that for the UK as a whole, and higher than that of any European country.
Alan Ferrier, head of demographic statistics, said: “Sadly, last year saw the highest number of drug-related deaths in Scotland since reporting began 25 years ago, and 59 more deaths than were registered in 2019.
“At the beginning of the century, the rate of drug-related deaths in Scotland’s most deprived areas was 10 times that of our least deprived areas. By 2020 this gap had increased to 18 times as high.”
The grim figures have led to opposition politicians accusing the SNP government of ignoring the issue to focus on independence instead.
But SNP MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire Jim Fairlie insisted the government was treating it as a “national mission” to fix the issue and planend to invest £250 million in it over the next five years.
He said: “Any increase in deaths, from whatever cause, is concerning.
“That drugs deaths tend to be highest amongst younger age groups makes it heartbreaking.
“I don’t think there is anybody in Scottish politics who is complacent about the scale of the challenge that faces us all in addressing this problem and I know that the Scottish Government is treating the issue as a national mission with a planned investment of £250 million over the next five years, with £100 million going towards an immediate priority of improving and increasing the provision of residential rehabilitation.”
But Perth-based Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “These drug death statistics for Perth and Kinross are very concerning. This is a national problem that has been allowed to continue for far too long under the SNP.
“The truth of the matter is that behind every drug death there is a lost loved one and a broken family.
“The Scottish Conservatives are bringing forward a Right to Recovery Bill to guarantee in law that everyone who needs treatment can get it. The proposal has the backing of frontline groups and experts across the political spectrum.”
