DRUGS DEATH TOLL SHAME
One person is dying from an overdose every week
A preventable drugs overdose is killing almost one person in South Lanarkshire every week.
The local authority’ s drugdeath toll was this week branded a “disgrace” despite falling by 20 per cent last year.
There were 49 drug-related deaths in the area in 2017. Although this was a decrease of 15 on the previous year, 2016 saw 64 drug deaths – more than double the 31 deaths recorded in 2015.
Drug deaths in Scotland are at their worst level since records began. There were 934 drug-related deaths registered in 2017, 66 more than the previous year. This is the highest level since 1996 and more than double the 2007 figure of 455.
Staggeringly, Scotland’ s drug death rate is roughly two and half times the UK rate, making it the drug death capital of Europe.
Central Scotland Labour MSP Monica Lennon slammed Scotland’s disgraceful record with substance misuse, calling it “a national public health emergency ”, while Tory MSP for Central Scotland Graham Simpson said the latest statistics for the region as “appalling”.
The National Records Scotland statistics show that the annual average for drug deaths in South Lanarkshire over a five-year period – from 2013-2017 – was 43.
But, despite a drop on the previous year, the number of male drug deaths has risen by 32 per cent in the last decade, from 25 in 2007 to 33 in 2017.
The spike in female drug-related deaths was even higher – six to 16.
Of the 49 death sin South Lanarkshire last year, 43 were caused by accidental poisoning, three were drug abuse, two were undetermined intent and one death was by intentional self-poisoning. Heroin/ morphine (23), heroin/morphine/ methadone/buprenorphine (35), opiates (43) and benzodiazephine (33) were the most common drugs reported by pathologists as causing or contributing to the cause of death.
Cocaine was reported as being implicated in five deaths, ecstasy in one, alcohol in three and amphetamines in one.
The majority of drug-related deaths were men and people aged 35 to 44, followed by those aged 25 to 34. An annual average of 0.07 people per 1000 population aged 15 to 24 died through drugs.
NHS Lanarkshire was the health board with the third highest drugrelated deaths at 102 (11 per cent) with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde topping the death toll at 280 (30 per cent).
South Lanarkshire drug and alcohol addiction charity Addaction is working with the Scottish Government to develop a new drug and alcohol strategy to improve substance misuse services.
The Hamilton-based charity insists the current system isn’ t working and is calling for more investment to tackle the scourge of drug abuse.
Add action South Lanarkshire manager Jacqueline Baker-White said: “For all of us at Addaction’s Hamilton service, the figures are so much more than statistics – they are people we worked with, got to know, supported and cared for deeply. Each death is a terrible waste of life and a sentence of grief for family and friends.
“Looking to the future, we want to see a change in Lanarkshire and Scotland’s drug and alcohol landscape. Add action Scotland is working with the Scottish Government in developing a new bold drug and alcohol strategy to make services fit for the 2020s.
“We will never be able to stop all drug and alcohol related deaths, but we must make it our mission to do more. There is hope for Scotland’s future, if we are able to put the pieces together and make it happen.”
Public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick said: “We will continue to do all we can to prevent others from experiencing similar heartbreak and are developing a refreshed substance use strategy.
“This is in direct response to the changing landscape, the continued rise in drug-related deaths and the recognition that current services do not meet the needs of all the people who need support.”
Add action South Lanarkshire – and statutory partner CAReS (Community Addiction Recover y Service) – is open to anyone in the area who needs support.
Visit addaction.org.uk/services/ south-lanarkshire-addaction or use the live web chat on the site which is anonymous and staffed by Addaction support workers.
The figures are so much more than statistics...