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Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2006

Summary of results

Recent trends (Table 1)

4. There were 421 drug-related deaths in 2006, 85 (25 per cent) more than in 2005 and 39 (10 per cent) more than the previous highest recorded total of 382 in 2002. Within these totals, the number of deaths of known or suspected habitual drug abusers rose from 204 in 2005 to 280 in 2006, the same as in in 2002. Table 1 also shows that there was an increase in the number of drug-related deaths coded to ‘accidental poisoning’, from 31 in 2005 to 51 in 2006.

Table 1: Drug-related deaths, Scotland, 1996-2006

NHS Board areas (Tables 2 and 3)

5. Of the 421 deaths in 2006, 162 (38 per cent) occurred in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board area. Grampian, with 47 (11 per cent), had the next highest total followed by Lothian, with 46 (11 per cent). The Greater Glasgow & Clyde total showed an increase of 51 since 2005 and there was also a substantial increase (24) in Grampian. However, there was a decrease of 11 in Lothian.

6. Because of the relatively small numbers involved, particularly for some NHS Board areas, and the possibility that more complete information has been reported in recent years, care should be taken when assessing the trends shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 2: Drug-related deaths, by NHS Board area, 1996 — 2006

1. New NHS Board areas including parts of former Argyll & Clyde
2. Former NHS Board areas (before dissolution of Argyll & Clyde on 1 April 2006).

Table 3: Drug-related deaths, by NHS Board area, 2006

1. New NHS Board areas including parts of former Argyll & Clyde
2. Former NHS Board areas (before dissolution of Argyll & Clyde on 1 April 2006).

Age groups and sex (Table 4)

7. Most deaths (83 per cent) were to persons aged under 45. However, only 16 per cent were under 25 compared to 14 per cent in 2005 and 23 per cent in 2004. Of the 70 cases aged 45 and over, only 34 were known, or suspected, to be drug-dependent. Men accounted for 334 (79 per cent) of the 421 drug-related deaths in 2006. The number of female deaths increased from 77 in 2005 to 87 in 2006. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of the male deaths were of known or suspected drug abusers compared to 63 per cent of the female deaths.

Table 4: Drug-related deaths, by age and by sex, Scotland, 2006

Types of drug involved (Tables 5 and 6)

8. Table 5 and Table 6 give information on the involvement of selected drugs, either alone or, more commonly, in combination with other drugs. Since the tables record individual mentions of particular drugs they involve double counting of some deaths. It is believed that for the overwhelming majority of cases where morphine has been identified in post-mortem toxicological tests its presence is a result of heroin use. The tables therefore show a combined figure for ‘heroin/morphine’.

9. In 2006, the drugs listed in the Tables were known to be involved in 364 (86 per cent) of the 421 deaths. Heroin/morphine was involved in 260 (62 per cent) of the deaths; methadone was involved in 97 (23 per cent) of the deaths; and diazepam was involved in 78 (19 per cent) of the deaths. Cocaine and ecstasy were involved in 33 and 13 cases respectively. A wide range of drug combinations was recorded. For example, diazepam was also mentioned in 50 (19 per cent) of the 260 deaths involving heroin/morphine; and 19 of the 33 deaths involving cocaine also involved heroin/morphine or methadone.. The presence of alcohol was mentioned for 131 of the 421 drug-related deaths in 2006. The blood-alcohol level was not given for all cases but, where mentioned, it was sometimes at a relatively low level.

10. Table 5 shows that, since 1996, there has been a significant increase in the involvement of heroin/morphine. Though recent years showed a limited reduction from a peak of 248 recorded in 2002, a new peak of 260 was recorded in 2006. Despite a fall in the late 1990s, the number of deaths involving methadone (97) is once again close to the level recorded in 1996 (100). The number of deaths involving diazepam peaked in 2002, and it has now dropped below the 1996 level. The table also shows the dramatic fall in the number of deaths involving temazepam since the late 1990s. Over the period there have also been marked changes in the numbers involving cocaine and ecstasy. The number of deaths involving cocaine increased to a high of 44 in 2005 but has dropped back by a quarter, to 33, in 2006. Ecstasy was involved in 13 deaths in 2006. Whilst this total is higher than in the late 1990s, it is down on the peak figure of 20 recorded in 2001 and 2002.

Table 5: Drug-related deaths; selected drugs involved¹, Scotland, 1996 - 2006

1. Individual deaths often involved more than one of these drugs. The numbers given are mentions of the drug and should not be added to give total deaths.
2. See paragraph 8 of commentary.

11. Table 6 shows some geographical differences in the reported involvement of certain drugs. For most NHS Board areas, heroin/morphine was involved in a majority of the deaths e.g. 97 out of 162 in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 42 out of 47 in Grampian, and 27 out of 35 in Tayside. However, a much lower proportion was observed in Lothian (12 out of 46). Greater Glasgow & Clyde (58 out of 162) showed a relatively high proportion involving methadone. This contrasts with the lower proportions recorded in Grampian (4 out of 47) and Lothian (9 out of 46). The table also shows that diazepam was involved in around two-fifths of the deaths in Lothian (16 out of 40) and Grampian (18 out of 47) but in only a small proportion (9 out of 162) in Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

Table 6: Drug-related deaths; selected drugs involved¹, by NHS Board area, 2006

1. Individual deaths often involved more than one of these drugs. The numbers given are mentions of the drug and should not be added to give total deaths.
2. See paragraph 8 of commentary.
3. Each year there are also a small number of mentions of unspecified benzodiazepines.
4. New NHS Board areas including parts of former Argyll & Clyde
5. Former NHS Board areas (before dissolution of Argyll & Clyde on 1 April 2006)

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