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Drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2008

Main Points

The key points in this publication are:

• On the basis of the definition used for these statistics, there were 574 drug-related deaths in 2008, 119 (26 per cent) more than in 2007 and 325 (131 per cent) more than in 1998. The number of drug-related deaths has risen in eight of the past ten years: the long-term trend appears to be steadily upwards.
• Males accounted for 80 per cent of the drug-related deaths in 2008.
• In 2008, there were 211 drug-related deaths of people aged 25-34 (representing 37 per cent of all drug-related deaths) and 174 drug-related deaths of 35-44 year olds (30 per cent). In addition, 92 people aged under 25 died (16 per cent), as did 97 people aged 45 and over (17 per cent).
• The Health Board areas which accounted for the majority of the 574 drug-related deaths in 2008 were:
  • Greater Glasgow & Clyde - 197 (34 per cent);
  • Lothian - 94 (16 per cent); and
  • Tayside - 53 (9 per cent).
• Using the annual average for 2004-2008, to reduce the effect on the figures of year-to-year fluctuations:
  • for Scotland as a whole, the average of 428 drug-related deaths per year represented about 0.08 per 1,000 population;
  • only one Health Board area had a higher value: Greater Glasgow & Clyde (0.13 per 1,000 population);
  • the next highest rate was for Tayside (0.08 per 1,000 population);
  • six areas had rates of 0.07 per 1,000 population.
• Comparing the annual average for 2004-2008 with that for 1996-2000:
  • the percentage increase in the number of drug-related deaths was greater for males than for females;
  • the percentage increases for 35-44 year olds and people aged 45 and over were larger than for 25-34 year olds, and there was a fall in the number of drug-related deaths of people aged under 25; and
  • the Health Board areas with the largest increases in the numbers of drug-related deaths were Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley and Ayrshire & Arran.
• Of the 574 drug-related deaths in 2008:
  • heroin and/or morphine were reported as present in the body in 336 cases (59 per cent);
  • methadone was present in 181 cases (32 per cent);
  • benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam) were present in 364 cases (63 per cent);
  • cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines were present in the body in 79, 7 and 12 cases respectively; and
  • the presence of alcohol was mentioned in 273 cases.

Because of a change in the method used to collect information about the substances which were reported as being found in the body (see section 2), these figures are not on the same basis as those for earlier years. However, comparing the annual averages for 2003-2007 and 1996-2000 shows:

• marked increases in the numbers of deaths for which heroin and/or morphine, cocaine and alcohol were reported;
• not much change in the numbers of deaths for which methadone, diazepam and ecstasy were reported; and
• a marked fall in the number of deaths for which temazepam was reported.

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