Scottish Drug Misuse Database

About the Scottish Drug Misuse Database

The Scottish Drug Misuse Database offers a profile of the misuse of drugs, based on anonymous information about new problem drug users (see Definitions, Annex 1) seen at a broad range of services across Scotland.

Services contributing to the Database consist mainly of specialist drug services (statutory and non­statutory) and general practice. Annex 2 contains a list of the services contributing to the Database during the period covered by this publication (1 April 1997 ­ 31 March 1998). Annex 3 presents copies of the data collection forms (SMR22 and SMR23).

Understanding the data

Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 1998 presents data from the Database by health board and council area based on the location of the agency or practice providing the service.

It should be noted that in the Database analyses for 1997/98, individuals have been included only once within each health board or council area (in previous years individuals have been included only once in any area). This alteration has been made to better reflect activity within each area. As in previous years, at a Scotland level individuals appear only once. Caution is therefore recommended when comparing local area figures with those from previous years' publications.

Further details on the basis of the Database figures and their limitations are given in Annex 4.

Comparison with previous Bulletins

Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 1997 presents information from the Database for the year 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997. The publication also includes information from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases for 1 October 1996 ­ 31 March 1997, information on hospital inpatient statistics for 1996/97, Hepatitus B infection, HIV infection and AIDS for years 1990 to 1997, prescription statistics for 1990 to 1997, seizures and offenders for 1985, 1990­1995 and data on drug addicts notified to the Home Office for 1990, 1992 ­ 1996. Papers on drug related deaths for 1996 and Scottish Crime Surveys 1993 and 1996 are also included.

The 1996 publication Tables from the Scottish Drug Misuse Database presents information for the year 1995/96 from the Database only.

Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 1995 presents information for the year 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995. Prior to 1995, this publication was called the Scottish Drug Misuse Database Bulletin.

As has been noted in previous publications, caution is recommended when comparing absolute numbers of attenders over time. The initial period following the inception of the Database saw a continual growth in compliance by services. The introduction of the revised data collection forms in April 1995 may also have improved the completeness and validity of information recorded.

Advice on the validity of any comparison can be obtained from ISD.

Acknowledgements

The cooperation and assistance of the staff at all services contributing to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database are gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also given to the organisations supplying the additional information presented in this publication.

We also acknowledge with thanks the pioneering work of Mike Donmall and his team at the University of Manchester which led to the creation of the Databases in England, Wales and Scotland.

Thanks are also given to Marion Hall and Isy MacEachern for data entry, and to Ann Allan and Graham Lockhart for their help in producing this publication.

Contacts

Elaine Parry (Senior Health Information Scientist) 0131 551 8715

Gregor McWalter (Team Leader, Scottish Drug Misuse Information Strategy Team) 0131 551 8204