Drug-Related Deaths in Scotland in 2002

28th August 2003

The Registrar General for Scotland has today published a short paper giving summary information about drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2002. Key points to emerge include:

There were 382 drug-related deaths in 2002, which is 50 (15 per cent) more than in 2001.
Within these totals, the number of deaths of persons known or suspected to be drug-dependent increased from 227 in 2001 to 280 in 2002.
Of the 382 deaths in 2002, heroin/morphine was involved in 248 (65 per cent), diazepam in 214 (56 per cent), and methadone in 98 (26 per cent).
The highest number of deaths - 126 - was in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area, with 47 in Grampian, and 39 in Lothian.
A wide range of drug combinations was recorded. Of particular note was the fact that diazepam was also mentioned in 157 (63%) of the 248 deaths involving heroin/morphine.
Whilst the number of drug-related deaths in Greater Glasgow rose substantially between 2001 and 2002, that for Grampian was virtually unchanged and there was a decrease in Lothian. Amongst the other areas, there were sizeable increases in Forth Valley and Lanarkshire.

Notes for News Editors

1. The information presented about drug-related deaths in Scotland uses the revised definition for baseline figures introduced in 2001. This definition was agreed by a working party set up following the publication in 2000, by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), of a report on 'Reducing drug related deaths'. The revised definition is also being used elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

2. This short paper is being made available primarily through the GROS website (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk) though paper copies may be obtained from Statisitcs Customer Services using our Contact Form.