Stirling drug deaths half in two years as debate rages over actions to reverse tragic epidemic
dailyrecord.co.ukThe number of deaths in Stirling linked to drugs have more than halved in the past two years, according to new figures.The statistics published by the National Records of Scotland outline the scale of the country’s drug-related deaths for 2022, with the area representing a major focus following several years of record rises.But the 2022 data shows the lowest number of drug deaths since 2017, with 1,051 dying from drug misuse in 2022 - a sharp fall from 1,330 the previous year.The progress being documented on a national level is also recorded in the figures for Stirling, which saw a drop from 16 to 14 in 2022 - and that represents a more than 50 per cent drop from the 31 drug deaths reported locally in 2020.It is also revealed that the most common cause for drug deaths in Stirling in 2022 was from ‘poly-drug use’ - where a number of different drugs are involved with the death.The rise of so-called ‘street benzos’ can also be viewed within the NRS data, with eight deaths in the region linked to benzodiazepines in some form.Julie Ramsay, head of demographic statistics at NRS, said: “While drug misuse deaths have been rising over the last two decades, with a particularly sharp increase after 2013, today’s statistics show the biggest year-on-year decrease since the series began.“The statistics provide some insight into the people who are most likely to die from drug misuse.“Those living in the most deprived areas of Scotland are almost 16 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to people living in the least deprived areas.“Males are twice as likely to die from drug misuse than females, however the fall in deaths in 2022 was much larger for males than for females.”Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed offered a cautious welcome
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