Tory call for action to halt rise in overdoses

SOARING numbers of Scots are being admitted to hospital due to overdosing on heroin and other opiods.

Almost 2,600 people were admitted last year, an increase of 17 per cent in a decade, after taking heroin or medically approved pain relievers such as codeine and morphine.

The figures were revealed yesterday by the Scottish Conservatives, who said the ‘devastating cycle’ of drug use must be stopped.

A total of 2,577 Scots were admitted to hospital after taking overdoses in 2017, compared with 2,201 in 2007, while more than 26,000 have been admitted in the past ten years.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The SNP’s plan to tackle illegal drug use and addiction is not working and is simply maintaining dependency.

‘The Scottish Conservative plan to tackle drug addiction would give every problem drug user a Life Plan and would ensure that 20 per cent more Scots accessed treatment.

‘Our plan would tackle addiction head on and halve the level of drugs deaths in Scotland.’