The figures show an eight per cent rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland between 2006 and 2007 as the figure rose from by 34 to 455.  This was 231 deaths more than in 1997, an increase of 103 per cent.  This represents a progressive increase with drug-related deaths rising in eight of the past ten years.

Of the 455 deaths heroin and/or morphine were involved in 64 per cent, methadone in 25 per cent while cocaine was involved in 47 cases and alcohol present in 157 cases. 

86 per cent of the deaths were male.  A third were of 25-34 year olds and a third of 35-44 year olds.  Geographically the Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board area accounted for 35 per cent of deaths, Lothian for 12 per cent, Lanarkshire for 11 per cent and Grampian for 10 per cent. 

Responding to the figures, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: "This data shows the tragic consequences of the drugs epidemic in Scotland. Each death represents not just a life needlessly lost, but a family devastated and a community scarred.

"That is why the Scottish Conservatives have worked relentlessly to create a new national drugs strategy based on recovery leading to abstinence. The attempts of the last decade to merely manage the problem, based on harm reduction and an over reliance on methadone have quite simply not worked. In 1996, there were 244 drug related deaths. This has now soared to 455, an 86% increase.

“At long last, Scotland is waking up to the unfolding disaster of drugs abuse, but recent data shows that more than a quarter of addicts wanting treatment have to wait for more than a year before they even get assessed, and more than a quarter then wait over a year for actual treatment. That is shameful. For some to have to wait for over two years just to begin treatment is a national scandal.

“As Home Office figures have shown, every £1 spent on treating addicts saves nearly £10 in other budgets.

"The challenge now is to expand the range of rehabilitation services on offer and move to abstinence and recovery. Scotland has suffered for far too long from the effects of drugs abuse. It ruins lives, destroys families and scars communities.”