Number misusing drugs falls in Scotland
Drug misuse in Scotland is falling, according to research
published this week.
The study, jointly carried out by the centre for drug misuse research
at the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Centre for Infection and
Environmental Health, shows that misuse of benzodiazepines and opiates
fell by nearly 8 per cent between 2000 and 2003.
It estimates that in 2003 there were 51,582 people misusing opiates or
benzodiazepines compared with 55,800 in 2000. The latest figure corresponds
to 1.8 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 54 years, with
two-thirds of drugs misusers being male. In addition, the study reveals
that there has been a decrease in the prevalence of people injecting
drugs.
Hugh Henry, deputy justice minister at the Scottish Executive, commented: “It
is particularly encouraging to see a decrease nationally in the numbers
of addicts who are injecting. This finding supports our most recent statistics
on drug misusers entering treatment, more of whom are getting treatment
but fewer of whom are reporting injecting.” He added: “Drug
deaths were down in 2003 but we cannot be complacent. We are getting
more addicts into treatment but we must increase the numbers and intervene
earlier.” |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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