The figures behind Scotlands drug death toll

A total of 1,017 people suffered a fatal overdose in Scotland last year.

That figure was a 13% fall on the previous year, and the lowest recorded total since 2017.

While the reduction is significant, experts have warned there may be a rise in drug deaths in 2025.

We take a deeper look at the figures and the efforts to tackle the problem in recent years.

Opioids and opiates - such as heroin and methadone - were the biggest contributors to fatal overdoses in 2024.

They were linked to 80% of deaths, according to the figures from the National Records of Scotland.

For the fifth year in a row, methadone (412) was involved in more fatalities than heroin (317).

Deaths involving benzodiazepines - including prescribed diazepam and counterfeit tablets such as street Valium - rose rapidly over the last decade and were a major factor in the drug deaths crisis.

In 2024, they were involved in 56% (574) of deaths.

Meanwhile, there were 479 fatal overdoses involving cocaine - equalling the record total from 2023.

The NRS figures also show that 76 deaths were connected to the powerful, synthetic drug nitazenes. These are drugs often used as adulterants in other substances and can be more than 100 times more potent than heroin.

After adjusting for age, there were 19.1 drug misuse deaths per 100,000 people in 2024 - more than three-and-a-half times higher than in 2000.

Deprivation remained a key factor. Those in the poorest areas of Scotland were 12 times more likely to suffer a fatal overdose than those in the richest.

Glasgow City recorded the highest death rate in the country at 41.1 - more than double the rate of Scotland as a whole.

While 2024 data for other UK countries is unavailable, the NRS report said deaths in Scotland were two to three times the rate of those other nations.

Scotland still has the highest drug death rate in Europe, according to available data.

The NRS said drug-related deaths were still "much more common" than they were two decades ago, and that the figures for men were double those for women.

In 2021, the Scottish government announced a five-year "national mission" to reduce drug deaths.

The previous year saw the highest number of drug-related deaths, with 1,339 fatalities.

In 2021, the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon responded by announcing £250m in extra funding for addiction treatment services.

The missions aims were to bring down the number of deaths; increase access to residential rehabilitation; reduce waiting times for addiction treatment; and establish treatment standards across Scotland.

A report by Audit Scotland last year said funding for addiction treatment had doubled in the last decade but that progress has been "mixed".

The national target - for 90% of referrals to start community-based addiction treatment within three weeks – has largely been met since 2020.

The number of referrals has remained relatively steady over the last year, and just over 3,800 were made in the first three months of the year.

In the last five years, there has been a rise in the number of funded rehab placements – a portion of which were funded through the national mission.

There are currently no concrete figures on the number of people overall who have started rehab for drug dependence.

However, Public Health Scotland data shows that more than 900 placements were approved for funding in the 12 months to March 2025.

Overall, more than 3,200 placements have been approved for funding since 2021/22.

Former care worker Karen is nearing the end of her six-month stay at a rehab centre in Glasgow.

Battling addiction to heroin, alcohol and cocaine after a succession of family tragedies, this was the second time the 49-year-old was ready for rehab.

She said she weighed just four stone when she showed up for treatment

"I never had any energy. I was walking about thinking I was alright, but I was nothing," she told BBC Scotland News.

While shes anxious about her departure, she says her treatment has helped.

"It was quite tough to detox," she added.

"I kept saying: I cant do this, I cant do this.

"But I did it. Because if I didnt, I dont know what wouldve happened to me."

Karens placement was paid for by additional funding made available by the Scottish government.

While the number of publicly-funded rehab placements has increased, the government is still shy of its target of 650 beds being available across Scotland.

David Brockett is head of operations for Phoenix Futures in Scotland, a charity which provides rehab services.

He said there was uncertainty as the national mission nears its end, and that the funding needed to continue next year.

"Getting into residential rehab is still a real challenge because of the demand," he said.

"A lot of services closed prior to this funding. What we are needing is more services, we need more residential rehab."

The number of drug-related hospital stays grew by 15% in 2023/24 with more than 11,000 recorded – a rate of 212 per 100,000 people.

The rate of patients and new patients in hospital also increased last year.

The link between drug misuse and deprivation remains stark, with just under half of patients with a drug-related hospital stay living in the most deprived parts of the country.

Methadone remains a key tool in tackling addiction – but is also one of the main drugs involved in fatal overdoses. It was a factor in 412 of the 1,017 deaths last year.

Opioid substitution therapy, which includes treatment like methadone and buphrenorphine, was prescribed to an estimated 29,000 people in the 12 months to December 2024.

One of the key steps since the start of the drug deaths crisis has been the roll-out of Naloxone.

Access to this drug, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, has also largely been on the rise.

The latest figures show 23,260 take-home kits have been issued so far in 2025. More than 130,000 kits have been issued since the national mission was announced in 2021.

Drugs Minister Maree Todd said progress in reducing deaths was "welcome" but added that "there is still work to be done".

She said: "We will continue to do everything we can to save and improve lives.

"This is particularly true as we face new threats from highly dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which further raise the risk of overdose and death."

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP said every life lost to drugs was a tragedy.

"Scotlands drug emergency is claiming far too many lives and more must be done to not only save lives but ensure that people can get the recovery support that they need," she said.

The Scottish Conservatives said it was "shameful" that those living in the poorest areas were worst affected.

"SNP ministers have repeatedly taken their eye off the ball, and still have no coherent and credible strategy for tackling this national crisis," said Annie Wells, the partys drugs spokeswoman at Holyrood.