Edinburgh Napier University

  Scotland's drug death statistics for 2022 were recently published showing a 21% reduction in the number of drug deaths since 2021 (National_Records_Scotland, 2023). The number reduced from 1330 to 1051 which appears a positive reflection of the work completed by agencies (third sector, charities, and NHS) to reduce drug-related fatalities (National_Records_Scotland, 2023).
Despite the reduction in 2022, Scotland remains the drug death capital of Europe. It presents with 3.7 times as many related deaths in 2022 as in 2000, and those in the most deprived areas are 16 times more likely to perish from drug-related causes (National_Records_Scotland, 2023). Men are twice as likely to die from drug deaths as women and although the number of drug deaths has reduced by 21% in 2022 to 659, men are still almost 3 times more likely to die from drug use in 2022 than in 2000 (National_Records_Scotland, 2023). Women are almost 7 times as likely to die from drug use than in 2000 and although a modest reduction from 2021 of 10%, to 359 in 2022 and when compared against male drug deaths, female fatalities have risen by circa 233% over 22 years.