Drug-related harms are increasing across Scotland, says the latest Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) report from Public Health Scotland (PHS) – underlining the need for ‘continued action’.
Suspected drug deaths in the period March to May this year were up by 15 per cent on the previous quarter and 7 per cent on the same period last year, the document states. Naloxone administration incidents, meanwhile, showed an increase of 45 per cent compared to the previous quarter, with emergency department attendances also up by nearly 20 per cent. Almost 1,100 Scottish Ambulance Service naloxone incidents were recorded between February and May, an average of 84 per week, with the Dumfries and Galloway NHS board area recording an increase of 124 per cent on the previous quarter.
The majority of drug-related harm continues to involve more than one substance, with the average number of controlled drugs detected per sample standing at six in hospital settings and four in post-mortem toxicology. ‘There is an urgent need for coordination to improve Scotland’s ability and agility in responding to polysubstance use and a continually evolving drug market,’ the document states. ‘A focus is needed on development, implementation and evaluation of measures to prevent and reduce the harms of polysubstance use.’
The findings highlight the country’s ‘persistently’ high levels of drug-related harm and the ‘serious impact’ of an unpredictable drug supply, the report says. Nitazenes, which were first detected in Scotland in 2022, accounted for 6 per cent of deaths in the first quarter of this year, with adulteration of heroin, benzodiazepines and oxycodone with nitazene-type opioids continuing to be reported in the testing data. The agency issued a warning earlier this year after an increase in ‘sudden and rapid collapse’ overdoses – some fatal – linked to nitazene-type opioids.
‘Instances of very high levels of drug-related harm were identified in Scotland following the pandemic, which then decreased,’ PHS states. ‘The current report indicates this decreasing trend appears to be over and levels of harm have approached those seen in previous peaks.’ Scotland’s drug death rate has quadrupled since 2000 and remains the highest in Europe.
‘The recent trends in increasing drug-related harms are deeply concerning, and it’s vital that the response continues to be prioritised in order to protect lives,’ said PHS consultant in public health medicine Dr Tara Shivaji. ‘There are complex reasons for the increase in harms we’re seeing. Scotland has an evolving drug supply, which is often contaminated with toxic substances. Most of the harm also involves the use of more than one substance. We urge caution to all people who use drugs – there’s no way of telling which substances may be contaminated or what the combined effects will be. Having someone who can help in an emergency is an important harm reduction measure, but there‘s no safe way to take these substances.’
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report available here