Drug Misuse In Scotland
Abstract of Statistics 2001
This abstract of statistics aims to provide insights into
drug misuse in Scotland.
Drug misuse is a complex problem, involving the use of both
illegal and legal drugs and other substances. It is an issue of concern
across the whole health and social care spectrum including criminal justice.
The selection of statistics presented here provide the latest
available facts and figures, drawing from a wide range of national information
sources including national surveys; the Home Office; the Scottish Centre
for Infection and Environmental Health; the Crime and Criminal Justice
Unit at the Scottish Executive; and ISD.
A more detailed compilation of the available information
in Scotland will be published by ISD in Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland
2001, at the end of January 2002.
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Key Points
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| Drug
misuse among young people in Scotland |
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| In Autumn 2000, 4 700 pupils in 150
schools in Scotland were surveyed about their smoking, drinking and drug
use. The survey found that cannabis was by far the most likely drug to have
been used – 13 per cent of pupils aged 12-15 had used cannabis in the
last year. One per cent of 12-15 year olds had used opiates (heroin and
methadone) in the last year, and 3 per cent had used stimulants (a group
of substances which includes ecstasy, cocaine, crack, amphetamines and poppers).
Source : National Centre for
Social Research (NCSR) and National Foundation for Educational Research
(NFER) |
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| Prevalence
of problem drug misuse |
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- The recent, National Prevalence Study estimates
that 55 800 individuals are misusing opiates or benzodiazepines
within Scotland. These figures correspond to a prevalence rate
of 2 per cent of the Scottish population aged between 15 and 54
years.
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Health
impact of drug misuse
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In 2000/01, the largest group of general acute hospital
admissions for drug misuse relates to opiate use. In some 46 per cent
of all general acute admissions for drug misuse, opioids are specifically
identified, but the true figure is likely to be even higher as some of
the patients recorded as using ‘multiple/other psychoactive substances’;
may use opioids. Source : ISD Scotland (SMR01)
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Between 1994/95 and 1999/00 there has been an increase in
the number of admissions to psychiatric hospitals involving drug misuse,
although improved recording may be responsible in part. Source : ISD Scotland (SMR04)
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| Of the 1 257 cases where a main diagnosis
of drug misuse was recorded, just over half (51 per cent) of the patients
were in their twenties. Males accounted for 68 per cent of those individuals
with a main diagnosis of drug misuse (a proportion similar to that reported
by services to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database). Source : ISD Scotland (SMR04) |
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| In 1999/00, of a total of 53 047
maternities (pregnancies which result in a live or stillbirth) recorded,
there were 188 cases where the mother had a diagnosis of drug misuse (a
rate of 3.5 per 1 000 maternities). Drug misuse in maternities is believed
to be under-recorded and these figures will be an underestimate. Source : ISD Scotland (SMR02) |
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Information from a nationally representative sample of General
Practitioners shows that male patients who had a diagnosis of drug misuse
recorded, are more likely to also have a diagnosis of alcohol problems
than other male patients (7.7 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively).
Source : ISD Scotland
(CMR)
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Of the 360 cases of Hepatitis B infection
reported to SCIEH in 2000, 89 cases (25 per cent) mentioned injecting
drug use as the patient’s probable route of transmission. However,
it is thought likely that the majority of the cases acquired their infection
through injecting practices. Source : Scottish
Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH)
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| As of 31 December 2000, there
have been 1 248 reports of HIV infection in Scotland where injecting
drug use was identified as the probable route of transmission. Injecting
drug users make up 39 per cent of all HIV infected reports. Source : SCIEH |
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| Of the 10 929 known cases of
Hepatitis C Virus in Scotland as at 30 June 2000, 6 326 (58 per cent) of
these have ‘Injecting drug user’ identified as the probable route
of transmission. It is thought likely that a further 3 780 (35 per cent)
cases with an ‘unknown’ cause of transmission will also include
a high proportion of injecting drug users. These figures almost certainly
underestimate the true extent of the problem. Source : SCIEH |
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