Drug-related deaths in Scotland rose by 23 per cent from 276 in 1998 to 340 in 1999, according to the Scottish registrar general.
Of those numbers, 227 deaths in 1999 (179 in 1998) were of people known or suspected to be drug-dependent.
Heroin or morphine was involved in 163 of the deaths, diazepam in 135, methadone in 62. The highest number of deaths (112) was in the Greater Glasgow health board area, with 42 in Grampian and 38 in Lothian.
Commenting in a press release on August 21, the Scottish Deputy Minister for Justice (Mr Angus MacKay) said that initial indications were that the increase would slow down or stop during 2000.