Drug-related deaths in Scotland rise by 12% in 2023

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland rose by 12% in 2023, according to a report released on Monday by the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The report recorded 1,172 deaths due to drug misuse last year, a rise of 121 compared to the previous year. This marks the second-lowest number of drug-related deaths since 2017, following the lowest number of 1,051 deaths in 2022. The highest number, 1,339 deaths, was reported in 2020.

Despite the recent increase, drug misuse deaths in Scotland remain significantly higher than they were in 2000. The report also highlights a concerning trend: the average age of those who die from drug misuse has increased from 32 to 45 since 2000.

Data also revealed that males (805) were twice as likely to have a drug misuse death as females (367) in 2023, while the average age of drug misuse deaths has increased from 32 to 45 since 2000.

The data reveals a stark gender disparity, with males (805) being twice as likely to die from drug misuse as females (367). Additionally, people in the most deprived areas of Scotland are more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to those in the least deprived areas.

"The age at which people die from drug misuse has increased over the past two decades," the report noted, explaining that in 2000, the highest death rate was among those under 35, while it has now shifted to those aged 35 to 54.

Opiates and opioids were involved in 80% of the drug misuse deaths in 2023, and the majority (88%) of these deaths were classified as "accidental poisonings," with only 7% categorized as intentional self-poisonings.

The rate of drug poisoning deaths in Scotland was more than double that of other UK countries -- England, Wales, and Northern Ireland -- in 2022.