Nicola Sturgeon will today lead talks on how to tackle the drug deaths crisis in Scotland.
The First Minister and Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance will attend the Drug Deaths Taskforce to discuss how the Scottish Government can reduce the number of drug deaths in the country.
Last year saw 1,264 deaths which had a drug-related element - a higher rate than across all EU countries, and more than three times the UK as a whole. 404 of these were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
The First Minister appointed Angela Constance to the Minister for Drug Policy to lead the Scottish Government’s work on tackling and reducing the harm of drug misuse.
A statement from the Scottish Government read: "The First Minister and the Minister for Drugs Policy will attend today’s Drug Deaths Taskforce meeting.
"They will hear from members of the taskforce about work initiated around an emergency response, such as prioritising support to individuals following a non-fatal overdose, and the distribution of naloxone by Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
"The First Minister will also lead a discussion on what more the Scottish Government can do to reduce the number of drug deaths in Scotland through working with key delivery partners to support a greater pace of change."
