Drug deaths in Ayrshire show slight drop – but remain among highest in Scotland

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Drug-related deaths in Ayrshire are among the highest in Scotland, according to new figures.In a report released today, only Greater Glasgow and Clyde recorded more fatalities after adjustment for age.Over the five year period 2017-2021, Ayrshire and Arran's drug misuse death rate stood at 28.1 per 100,000 population.However, the region's 100 drug-related deaths in 2021 showed a slight decrease from 106 in 2020 and 109 in 2019.North Ayrshire recorded the most deaths within the health board on 39 — the same number as in 2020.A total of 38 deaths were recorded in East Ayrshire, two more than in 2020, while South Ayrshire recorded 23 deaths — down from 31 the previous year.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Nationwide figures showed a slight drop for the first time in eight years as 1,330 drug-related deaths were recorded across Scotland in 2021, down on a total of 1,339 from 2020.However, the figure is still the second highest annual total on record for the country.In 2021, there were 933 drug misuse deaths of males, a decrease of 40 from 2020.There were 397 drug misuse deaths of females, an increase of 31 from 2020.People aged 35-54 accounted for 65 per cent of all drug-related deaths.Julie Ramsay, vital events statistician at the National Records of Scotland, said: "Drug misuse deaths have increased substantially over the past few decades – there were more than