Scotland records largest fall in drug deaths but rate still 2.7 times UK average

Official data shows there were 1,051 deaths due to drug misuse in 2022 - a drop of 279 on the previous year

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Scotland's drug deaths remain almost three times higher than for the UK as a whole, despite the country recording its largest fall in fatalities last year, as campaigners warn of the emerging threat of synthetic opioids prompted by Taliban disruption of the global drugs trade.

Data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed there were 1,051 deaths due to drug misuse in 2022 - a drop of 279 on the previous year, when then first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced a national mission" to tackle the country's chronic and epidemic fatality rates.