Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jan 2005
Source: Daily Record (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/111
Author: Judith Duffy
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

HEROIN NATION

Executive Figures Show That 51,500 Scots Are Hooked on Smack or Valium

TWO per cent of people aged 15 to 54 in Scotland are hooked on heroin and 
tranquillizers.

Addicts north of the Border numbered 51,582 in 2003 - a drop of 7.6 per 
cent from 2000, statistics showed yesterday.

Aberdeen, Greater Glasgow and North Lanarkshire all recorded a 
'significant' decrease in drug addiction.

But large increases were seen in Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire, 
Executive figures revealed.

Deputy justice minister Hugh Henry said: 'The research shows a welcome fall 
in the estimated number of Scots who are taking particularly damaging drugs 
such as heroin and Valium.

'Progress has been made but we must step up action.

'Drug-related deaths were down in 2003, but we cannot be complacent.

Treatment 'We are getting more addicts into treatment but we must increase 
the numbers and intervene earlier.'

The study was carried out by Glasgow University's Centre for Drug Misuse 
and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health.

A total of 18,737 people were found to be injecting drugs in 2003, down 0.2 
per cent to 0.67 per cent since2000.

The research also revealed 70 per cent of those addicted to heroin or 
Valium were men.

Nearly a third were aged between 15 and 24 and almost half were aged 25 to 34.

Glasgow City had the highest rate of population misusing drugs, at 3.31 per 
cent.

The lowest rate recorded was in Moray, where it dropped to 0.66 per cent. 
Under five per cent - or 7883 - of addicts use crack cocaine. In Aberdeen, 
the crack figure rose to more than 20 per cent.

The Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency recorded 226 drug-related deaths in 
2003, down 27 per cent on 2002.

Percentage of Scots Using Drugs

Highest (by council area)
Glasgow City 3.31%
Dundee City 2.8%
Inverclyde 2.57%
Dumfries & Galloway 2.43%
Renfrewshire 2.41%

Lowest (by council area)
Moray 0.66%
East Dunbartonshire 0.69%
Highland 0.81%
Clackmannanshire 1.05%
North Lanarkshire 1.06%
Scotland 1.84% 
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