The latest statistics on the number of drug deaths in Scotland were released this week, leading to significant media coverage and comment.
The figures showed a 12 per cent increase in deaths, with the Scottish Government calling the numbers “hugely concerning”.
When the statistics were published, various claims were made on social media.
Ferret Fact Service looked at four of them.
“Drug deaths in Scotland are not reported the same way as they are in England & Wales. We record all deaths where drugs are involved as drug deaths even if the cause of death isn’t due to an overdose.”
This claim is regularly made when Scottish drug death statistics are released, and Ferret Fact Service has written about similar claims before.
There are some small differences between Scotland and the rest of the UK in reporting and categorising drug deaths, but the figures are directly comparable.
Scotland’s drug death statistics only count people who have died as a direct result of drug overdose and do not include those who die from other causes with drugs in their system, as several social media posts have claimed.
The headline figure for Scottish drug deaths comes from a category known as “drug misuse deaths”. This includes deaths from so-called ‘controlled drugs’ listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
For accurate comparisons in the UK, a slightly different figure is used by Scottish statisticians, from a broader category called ‘drug poisoning deaths’. Under this definition, drug deaths are included from substances which are not controlled, such as some pain medication available on prescription.
According to National Records of Scotland, which collects and publishes the data, this wider definition is used because Scotland collects more information on the different drugs that are involved in drug deaths so its data is more accurate than the rest of the UK.
In a blog explaining the differences, NRS laid out some examples of what would or would not be included under each definition.
If someone took an overdose of cocaine and this was found to have caused a deadly heart attack this would be counted under the drug misuse and drug poisoning categories. However, if someone’s long-term drug use led to a heart attack due to weakening of the heart, this would be in the drug poisoning death figures but not in the drug misuse statistics.
This is because only deaths directly caused by drugs are included in misuse stats.
If someone dies from a virus which they contracted through using a non-sterile needle to inject drugs, this would not be included in either category. Nor would the death of someone killed in a car crash while under the influence of drugs.
On either measure, Scotland’s level of drug-related deaths is far higher than the rest of the UK.
Verdict: Mostly False
“Nine years ago, with rates rising and records already mounting, Nicola Sturgeon slashed funding for drug and alcohol services“
The Scottish Government’s funding for drug and alcohol services has been criticised in the debate around the figures. It was claimed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats that money was cut in 2015-16 during Nicola Sturgeon’s time as first minister.
This is accurate. In 2016-17 the Scottish Government’s annual core funding for local services, known as alcohol and drugs partnerships (ADPs), was reduced by more than 20 per cent in cash terms compared to the previous year, from £69.2m to £53.8m.
ADPs funding began to increase again from 2018-19 and stood at £76.9m in 2020-21. In 2023-24, the total funding for alcohol and drug services was £113m.
Verdict: Mostly True
“Scotland really is the drug death capital of Europe“
When the statistics were published, it was widely reported that Scotland was the “drug death capital” of Europe, meaning it has the highest rate of drug deaths across the continent.
Comparing drug deaths across Europe is more difficult, as there are differences in the way countries categorise deaths and how regularly they publish data.
NRS looks at Scotland’s rate of drug deaths and countries across Europe, using data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), but says such comparisons should be made with caution. It is possible that better recording and identification of such deaths in the UK and Scotland might be a reason for the drug death rate appearing to be much higher in the UK than in some other countries.
It is not possible to say with confidence that Scotland has a drug death rate ‘X’ times higher than the rest of Europe, or any specific country. However, the NRS report states: “It appears certain that Scotland’s rate is well above the level of most (if not all) of the European countries for which figures are available from the EMCDDA report.
Verdict: Mostly True
“The UK Government is in control of legislation, preventing Scotland setting up consumption rooms“
Legislation over drugs is split between the UK and Scottish governments. Control of drugs is reserved to the UK under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This covers things like which drugs are made illegal and what the punishments are for possession or supply.
The Scottish Government can legislate on health care including drug treatment and work aimed at the prevention of drug problems. They are unable to pursue formalised decriminalisation or legalisation policies, covered by reserved drug laws.
Sentencing and prosecution guidelines are one way in which Scotland’s approach to drug use can differ from the rest of the UK.
It is not accurate that the UK Government is currently blocking Scotland from creating drug consumption rooms. However, when the Westminster Home Affairs Committee recommended the Misuse of Drugs Act should be amended to allow a pilot project to run in Scotland, this was rejected by the Home Office.
A drug consumption facility was given the go-ahead in Glasgow after Scotland’s Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC stated in September 2023 that it would “not be in the public interest” to prosecute people for drug possession when they are attending the safe drug consumption space.
The facility is due to open in October 2024 and is anticipated to act as a pilot project for other spaces in Scotland.
Edinburgh City Council has done a feasibility study on plans for a similar room in the city.
An intervention by the Scottish Lord Advocate in 2021 also means people caught in Scotland with Class A drugs for personal use can be given police warnings rather than prosecution “for simple possession offences for all classes of drugs”.
Verdict: Half True
Ferret Fact Service (FFS) is a non-partisan fact checker, and signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network fact-checkers’ code of principles.
All the sources used in our checks are publicly available and the FFS fact-checking methodology can be viewed here.
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