New figures have shown that more than 50 people in Forth Valley lost their lives to drugs over the course of 2022.
The latest Scottish Government report has taken data from Police Scotland’s management information to provide current trends in suspected drug deaths across Scotland.
The most recent quarter from October to December 2022 saw 13 drug deaths recorded across the region, with a total of 54 across the entire 12 months.
Scotland as a whole saw more than 1,000 people lose their lives due to drugs last year, which was a decline in the same data from 2021.
But the most recent quarter saw a spike in the figures, with the 295 deaths seen in the country 60 more than the same figure in the previous quarter from July to September.
It also represent the highest single quarter in the data since April to June 2021.
The police divisions with the highest rates were Greater Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Edinburgh City.
Dr Susanna Galea-Singer, chair of the Addictions Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: “The latest suspected drug related death statistics are heartbreaking as well as deeply worrying.
“While the announcement of the £68million cross-government action plan was most welcome, the Scottish Government must do better. They must make sure services, workforce and funding is sustained over time.
“Drug deaths are driven by poverty, past trauma, domestic abuse and generational substance misuse. These social factors will take years to address.
“We need better access to services, choice and support as well as joined up services across our local communities so there are treatment options in place - for those who so desperately need them.”
In response to the report, Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “I want to extend my deepest sympathy to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.
“This latest quarterly report on the number of suspected drug deaths indicates a rise in the final three months of 2022 but suggests that over the course of the year there was a 16 per cent decrease in the number of deaths compared with 2021.
“While I give a cautious welcome to this report, I am aware that it uses management information provided by Police Scotland and is based on attending officers’ observations and initial inquiries at the scene of death.
“The numbers we are seeing are still far too high and we remain focused on our ongoing efforts to get more people into the form of treatment which works best for them.”
