Drug-Related Deaths in Scotland in 2007

7 August 2008

The Registrar General for Scotland today published a short paper analysing the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland.

The publication "Drug Related Deaths in Scotland in 2007" can be viewed on this website.

The key points are:

There were 455 drug-related deaths in 2007, 34 (8 per cent) more than in 2006 and 231 (103 per cent) more than in 1997.
The number of drug-related deaths rose in eight of the past ten years: the long-term trend seems steadily upwards.
Of the 455 drug-related deaths in 2007:
- heroin and/or morphine were involved in 289 (64 per cent);
- methadone was involved in 114 (25 per cent);
- diazepam was involved in 79 (17 per cent);
- cocaine was involved in 47 deaths; and
- the presence of alcohol was mentioned in 157 cases.
86 per cent of the deaths were of men.
A third of drug-related deaths were of 25-34 year olds; a further third were of 35-44 year olds.
The Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board area accounted for 35 per cent of the deaths, Lothian for 12 per cent, Lanarkshire for 11 per cent and Grampian for 10 per cent.
Comparing the annual average for 2003-2007 with the annual average for 1996-2000 (in order to reduce the effect on the figures of any year-to-year fluctuations):
- there were marked rises in deaths involving heroin and/or morphine, cocaine and alcohol, and a marked fall in deaths involving temazepam;
- male deaths increased faster than female deaths;
- numbers rose faster for 35-44 year olds and for people aged 45 and over than for 25-34 year olds; there was a fall in deaths of people aged under 25;
- the Health Board areas with the largest increases in the number of drug-related deaths were Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran.

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