THE number of drug-related hospital stays in Scotland has decreased slightly in the last year after rising steadily for most of the previous decade.
However, the coronavirus lockdowns and emergency measures may be behind the recent decrease, a report from Public Health Scotland (PHS) says.
There were 14,310 drug-related hospital stays in Scotland during the 2020/21 financial year, the equivalent of 270 stays per 100,000 of the population. This compares to 284 stays per 100,000 in 2019/20.
Patients can have more than one drug-related hospital stay throughout the year.
Opioid drugs similar to heroin were responsible for the highest stay rate at 127 stays per 100,000 people.
Sedative and hypnotic-related drugs reached their highest stay rate yet at 54 per 100,000 of the population.
Stay rates for cannabinoids also reached a record level, at 40 stays per 100,000 of the population.
The PHS report noted there was a sharp decrease in hospital stays for all drugs around the time of the first Covid-19 lockdown.
Those aged between 35 and 44 were most likely to attend general or psychiatric hospitals in relation to drugs while 50% of all patients were from the most deprived areas of Scotland – referred to as deprivation quintile one.
The report stated: “It is not known if the observed changes in the number of stays reflects a genuine difference in the number of such conditions, or a change in hospital admission policies associated with the pandemic.
“While hospital pressures may have eased during the summer 2020 period there were still many social restrictions in place, which may have had an influence on drug use and access to services.”
The latest statistics come after Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Ross made a rare joint visit to a recovery cafe in Glasgow on Monday.
Ross has said he is now willing to look at the evidence of whether safe drug consumption rooms could help cut deaths, and promised not to oppose the Scottish Government if they launch a pilot scheme.
Meanwhile, Sturgeon has said she is “completely open minded” about the Scottish Conservatives’ plan to put the right for drug and alcohol treatment into law.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel