Drug deaths in Scotland fall by one per cent but are still second highest ever recorded

Scotland has recorded a tiny reduction in the number of people who have lost their lives to drug misuse.

New stats from the National Records of Scotland show that the 2021 figure is 1,330 - a 1% fall. It was still the second highest annual total.

Annemarie Ward, chief executive at the FAVOR Scotland charity, said: “These horrendous figures should shame the Scottish Government.