'Catastrophic' rise in Scotland's drug deaths as 900 die in just nine months

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A 'catastrophic' rise in drugs deaths has been blasted by campaigners as 900 are estimated to have died in Scotland in just nine months.New data revealed a 13% rise on suspected drug fatalities reported between January and September this year - meaning 103 more people died than during the same period last year.The latest Scottish Government figures indicate substance misuse deaths are set to soar again after 2022 reported the lowest number in five years.Opposition MSPs said Scotland was no closer to getting a grip on the “spiralling” drugs epidemic, while campaigners demanded better treatment for users.Annemarie Ward, CEO of Faces and Voices of Recovery UK said: “In light of another distressing rise in drug-related deaths, it is more apparent than ever that our current strategies are failing to effectively address the crisis at hand.“The consistency of these numbers year after year is not just a statistic; it’s a stark indicator of our stagnation in providing timely and adequate help to those in need.“Every figure in these reports represents a life – someone who needed help but tragically may have passed away waiting for it.“What we need now is action – real action that translates into lives saved and families preserved.”A record number of fatalities was seen in Scotland in 2020 at 1,339, with then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitting she and her government “took our eye off the ball”.The latets figures show 645 of the 900 deaths, or 72%, were males - up 16% on last year.Data suggests 66% were aged between 35 and 54 and 5% - a total of 46 deaths - were understood to be in the under 25 age group.Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.You'll receive daily updates on