There is “still a huge amount of work to be done” to combat drug deaths in Tayside despite figures reading the same level as last year.
That was the message from local politicians and the nation’s chief drugs policy maker.
Data released by the Scottish Government earlier this week shows that 81 suspected drug deaths were recorded in the region between January and September – the same figure over the same time period in 2020.
In 2021, 30 of those deaths were recorded between January and March, with 34 recorded over the following three months before dropping to 17 between July and September.
The statistics mark a drop from the same months in 2019 (87) and 2018 (92).
The figures, shared by Police Scotland, found 1007 national fatalities linked to drugs from January to September, a slight decrease of four per cent on the number in the same period last year.
The Scottish Government now publishes the number of drug-related deaths across the country on a quarterly basis after facing criticism for failing to get to grips with the issue.
More people die from drugs in Scotland per head of population than an other European nation.
Minister for drug policy Angela Constance, who was appointed by Nicola Sturgeon to oversee the Government’s response to the crisis, said much work was still to be done.
Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said: “Whilst even a slight reduction in overall drug deaths is welcome news, there is clearly still a huge amount of work to be done to drive this figure down further.
“I share the Scottish Government’s view that even one drug death is one too many, and the belief that we need urgent and innovative action to tackle this public health emergency.
“It is for this reason that I support the steps taken by the Scottish Government thus far, including an additional £250 million of funding to tackle this issue over the next Holyrood term and the creation of a minister within the Scottish Government responsible specifically for drugs policy.
“However, it is also clear that we need to embrace new solutions.
“Whilst sadly there is no silver bullet for solving the tragedy of drug deaths, measures like drug consumption rooms are clearly worthy of exploration and further study.”
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart said: “Any decrease in the rate of drugs deaths in Scotland is to be welcomed. However, this is still very much a crisis, which the Scottish Government is continuing to treat as such.
“We know that socioeconomic factors like loss of livelihoods, mental health issues and feelings of isolation make people more susceptible to problem drug use, all of which COVID-19 has exacerbated.
“To combat drug deaths in Scotland within our current socioeconomic landscape, a robust, multi-faceted strategy is needed, which I am pleased the Scottish Government is implementing through its £250m funding commitment.
“However, I definitely believe that it is worth exploring new schemes like drug consumption rooms, which we know have had positive impacts elsewhere in Europe.”
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser added: “The figures for Tayside may show a slight fall from the previous year but they are still far too high.
“Drug and alcohol-related deaths are Scotland’s national shame. The problem is that the SNP simply cannot be trusted to solve this issue.
“The Scottish Conservatives’ Right to Recovery Bill is essential to tackle this tragic issue, as it gives everyone suffering from addiction the right to potentially life-saving residential treatment.”
