Glasgow drugs toll doubles
MORE than three drug addicts are dying in Glasgow every week.
New figures show there were 192 drugrelated deaths last year, more than double the number recorded in 2008.
Glasgow City Council says the latest government statistics show a new approach to tackling drug addiction is required.
DRUG addicts in Glasgow are dying at a rate of more than three a week.
The latest government statistics show drug fatalities in the city have doubled in the last eight years, to a record high.
Last year 192 people died from drug-related deaths in the city, with accidental poisoning, or overdose, the most common cause of death.
The City Council say it is more evidence, if it was required, of the urgent need for a new approach to tackling drug addiction.
In 2008 there were 94 deaths in Glasgow city, the lowest in the last decade.
In the last 10 years drug deaths in Glasgow have claimed 1324 lives with last year the highest on record.
Glasgow’s record puts it among the worst in Europe.
For every 100,000 people there are 24 drug deaths. This is far higher than the highest in England and Wales, which last year was the seaside resort of Blackpool, with 14 per 100,000.
It is second only to Dundee, where the rate is 25 per 100,000, where there were 57 drug-related deaths.
Glasgow health and council bosses want to set up a safe drugs consumption facility but the UK Government will not allow the laws on drug possession to be relaxed to enable it to operate.
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Chair of Glasgow’s Health & Social Care Partnership, said: “These distressing figures highlight the urgent need for Glasgow’s proposed Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF) which would help save lives.
“Sadly, we have seen a rise in HIV and other infections. The city’s most vulnerable group is ageing heroin users with poor health who are often taking a cocktail of other substances too. Many stay out of contact with treatment and recovery services.
“Research has proved SDCFs help experts engage with hard-to-reach people. Such facilities also reduce syringe sharing, cutting the risk of HIV and other infections.”
The most common age for deaths was 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 but deaths were also recorded among the 15 to 24 year-old and 25 to 34 year-old groups.
Across the country there were 934 deaths – also the highest on record.
In Glasgow there is estimated to be 14,000 people with a problem drug habit.
The most common drug present in the deaths was methadone, which was reported in 95 cases many deaths had multiple drugs listed as contributing factors.
Heroin was present in 91 cases and in more than three quarters either heroin, morphine, methadone or buprenorphine was present.