NICOLA Sturgeon said the Scottish Government “does not shirk the responsibility” and is “determined to make changes that will save lives” after Scotland’s drug deaths rose to a record 1339 last year.

The First Minister said the number of lives lost “is unacceptable, each one a human tragedy”.

It is the seventh time in a row that the number has risen. The figure is 5% higher than the previous year, when 1264 people lost their lives.

The country continues to have the worst drug death rate in Europe, with 21.2 deaths per 100,000 of the population, more than three-and-a-half times higher than the rest of the UK.

Glasgow was again found to be the worst area for people struggling with addiction, with 291 dying last year in the city. The First Minister tweeted yesterday: “Today, my thoughts are with every family who has lost a loved one – I am sorry for the loss you have suffered.

“However, I know that from @scotgov what is required isn’t words, but action to prevent people dying, and that is what we are determined to deliver.

“These 2020 figures (though no less shameful because of it) predate actions set out at [the] start of [the] year.

“We now have a dedicated drugs minister in Angela Constance, a substantial funding commitment and action under way to ensure faster access to community support, treatment and rehab.

“We will also continue to argue for reform of drugs law, which is not currently within our power.”

The National: Scottish Government drugs minister Angela ConstanceScottish Government drugs minister Angela Constance

READ MORE: Drugs deaths: Families remember the loved ones they've lost

Opioids remained the number one cause of drug-related deaths in Scotland last year, new figures show.

Data released by National Records of Scotland yesterday shows that, of the 1339 people who died from drugs last year, 1192 were related in some way to opioids.

However, in a sign that more drug users are mixing substances, benzodiazepines – the use of which has soared in recent years due to easy availability – were implicated in 974 deaths last year.

Men were also 2.7 times more likely to die from drugs than women last year, with 973 deaths compared with 366 female victims.

Deprivation also continued to be a major factor in drug deaths, with those in the poorest areas of the country 18 times more likely to die than their more affluent counterparts, the data showed.

AN SNP MP has told of how Scotland’s drug deaths crisis has brought tragedy to his own family.

Stewart McDonald, who represents Glasgow South, referenced an article this morning which revealed the number of people who had lost their lives as a result of drug-related issues in the last year.

McDonald wrote on Twitter: “1339 lives lost to drugs. This year the figures – counting those lost in 2020 – includes my own brother, Malcolm, who died at the beginning of last year. I’m thinking of all of those who have lost a loved one to drugs – a pain nobody deserves to endure.”

Scottish Greens health and social care spokesperson Gillian Mackay MSP said: “Today’s tragic figures are yet another reminder of the devastating impact drug misuse has on communities in Scotland. Every single one of these deaths is a preventable tragedy.

“The approach to drugs, pursued by both the UK and Scottish governments, must change. The war on drugs has demonstrably failed, it’s long past time we treated this crisis as the public health emergency that it is. It is time for an approach which focuses on restoring people’s dignity and treating their addiction, rather than criminalising them.”