Scotland records another rise in drug-related deaths

Drug-related deaths in Scotland rose sharply last year, with the number increasing by 11%, according to figures reported by BBC UK. The increase brought the total number of deaths recorded over a decade to more than 11,000. The figures were described in the report as the worst in Europe.

The supplied material does not state the number of deaths recorded in the latest year or provide the figures for the previous year. It therefore establishes the percentage increase but not the underlying totals for either period. The decade-long total indicates the scale of the deaths recorded over that period, while the latest annual rise shows that the number increased rather than declining.

The available information does not identify the causes of the increase or describe any government, health service or community response. It also does not provide a breakdown by age, substance, region or other category. No details are supplied about the methodology used to compile the figures or the date on which the latest count was published.

BBC UK’s report therefore identifies two central points: an 11% rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland last year and more than 11,000 deaths across the decade. It presents the resulting figures as the worst in Europe, but the supplied material contains no comparative numbers for other countries.