Dundee's political leaders say they intend to continue learning lessons from the city's drug deaths after it was once again crowned the overdose capital of Scotland. A total of 52 drug-related deaths were recorded for last year, down from 57 in 2020.
However, an average of 45.2 deaths per 100,000 people have been recorded every year over the last five years, more than seven times the rate between 2000 and 2004. Civic leaders have been criticised for the pace at which they are tackling the city's drug death emergency.
Earlier this year the Dundee Drugs Commission slammed local bodies for going "far enough, deep enough or fast enough" in their response to the Commission's original recommendations published in 2020. The Scottish Government has previously hinted that it could intervene in the city's approach to tackling drug deaths if change isn't readily apparent.
