This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Drug death figures show 'real progress'
31/08/2006
Drug-related deaths in Scotland have fallen, but there can be no let up in the fight to drive drugs out of communities, Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said today as the General Register Office statistics on Drug-Related Deaths in Scotland in 2005 were published.
The statistics show there were 336 drug-related deaths in 2005 compared with 356 in 2004. However, deaths involving cocaine have risen from 38 in 2004 to 44 in 2005.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Every death associated with drug misuse is a tragedy and reminds us that drug abuse is a blight on the lives of too many families and communities across Scotland.
"I am pleased to see that the figures for drug-related deaths have fallen. But we cannot be complacent. As long as there are drugs on our streets, then there is the potential for deaths to rise again. Our efforts must be relentless.
"Educating young people about the dangers of drugs and providing them with opportunities to make positive life choices must always be the starting point of our drugs strategy. That is why we continue to publicise the harmful risks of drug use to young people and their parents through our ongoing 'Know the Score' campaign. And that is why 99 per cent of schools in Scotland are now providing drug education.
"We know that cocaine use has been growing in Scotland - and our hard-hitting advertising campaign sought to highlight the dangers of the drug. The campaign ran last March and again in November. Research showed that following the campaign 82 per cent disagreed with the statement "taking cocaine is quite glamorous". We will run this campaign again later this year. What's more, we are currently working with publicans in Glasgow to find ways to get the message to people most at risk of taking or being exposed to cocaine.
"In addition to raising awareness about the dangers of drugs we are also investing record resources in drug treatment - £66.7 million in 2005-6 was allocated to tackle drugs.
"The SDEA and police forces across Scotland have been continuing to step up enforcement - last year alone they seized drugs with a total street value of £22.4 million. And we have supported those efforts with money taken from the pockets of dealers themselves. The 'Drug Dealers Don't Care - Do You' campaign - funded entirely by the assets seized from criminals - saw 500 dealers arrested as a result of information provided.
"We have also asked a new National Forum on Drug-Related Deaths to help us identify the areas where local action needs to be taken -through the provision of services such as improved first-aid training for addicts' families.
"We are making real progress, but there is more to be done and we will continue to work to stamp out the scourge of drugs."