Labour has renewed calls for the Scottish Government to scrap planned cuts to drug and alcohol services in light of a "heartbreaking" rise in drug deaths.
Quarterly figures published today found the number of suspected fatalities from drugs in October and November increased following a downward trend.
Public Health Scotland said 109 people died from suspected drug use in November last year - higher than the same month in both 2021 (89) and 2020 (93).
Suspected drug deaths are reported based on Police Scotland management information and are not confirmed through toxicology.
The most recent release in December showed a fall of 15 per cent between July and September when compared to the previous quarter.
Scottish Labour drugs spokesman Paul O’Kane warned there was "no room for complacency" in tackling drug deaths.
He added: "Every single one of these deaths was preventable, and each one is a tragedy. This is a national emergency and the SNP need to start treating it as one.
"Lives are on the line – the SNP must start acting with the urgency needed, starting by scrapping their dangerous plans to cut funding to vital drug and alcohol services."
The Scottish Government pledged to publish suspected drug death statistics on a quarterly basis from 2021 onwards after the country was found to have the worst rate in Europe.
Drugs minister Angela Constance extended her "deepest sympathy to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs".
She added: "Although the suspected drugs deaths figures showed a 21 per cent decrease for the first nine months of last year, this latest report indicates a sharp increase in October and November.
"I am aware that this report uses management information provided by Police Scotland and is based on attending officers’ observations and initial inquiries at the scene of death but, of course, the numbers we are seeing are still far too high.
"We remain focused on our ongoing efforts to get more people into the form of treatment which works best for them.
"We are committed to delivering drug checking facilities in Scotland which would enable us to respond faster to emerging trends and we would anticipate that licence applications to the Home Office, to grant permission for the establishment of these facilities in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen, will be submitted early this year."
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
