News

Only one in eight people in Scotland who died in 2003 due to drug use were in contact with specialist drug services shortly before their death, according to new research, writes Amy Taylor.

The national investigation into all drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2003 was ordered by the deputy justice minister, Hugh Henry, after a record number of such deaths, 382, were recorded in 2002.

It found that only 13 per cent of 317 of people who died due to drug use in 2003 were in contact with specialist services in the six months before they died, and that only 22 per cent were in touch with social work agencies. A quarter of those who died were not in contact with any services in the six months before they passed away.

More than half of the social work contacts identified were in Glasgow and there was limited social work involvement in other areas.

Recommendations for action from the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse’s working group on drug-related deaths were published alongside the investigation. They include for the Scottish Executive to develop and fund the introduction and evaluation of new or more innovative treatments across Scotland. Ministers will publish an action plan based on the recommendations later this year.

The annual statistics on drug-related deaths for 2004, due to be published shortly, will show that the number of deaths has increased again despite a fall in 2003.

The National Investigation into Drug Related Deaths 2003 and copies of the recommendations from: www.scotland.gov.uk