The National Drug - related deaths database (Scotland)- Report 2011

Links between poverty, long-term drug use, poor underlying health and the impact of drug deaths on families have been highlighted in the National Drug-related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report 2011 published today.

Findings suggest that there may be combined effects of older age, long-term IV drug use and medical conditions which may all add to the risk of dying from a drug-related overdose death.

The report shows:

• Over three quarters of deaths (78.3 percent) were males, over half (53.4 percent) had lived in the most deprived areas in Scotland and the 35-44 years age group accounted for the highest proportion of deaths (38.1 percent)
• 68 were known to have been intravenous (IV) drug users for 11-19 years prior to death and 27 had been injecting for over 20 years.
• there were high levels of medical and psychiatric problems: nearly two thirds (63 percent) had a history of drug injecting and over three quarters (77.4 percent) had a medical condition recorded in the six months prior to death, higher than in 2010.

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