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APPENDIX THREE
DRUG MISUSE IN SCOTLAND: SOME FACTS
Illicit Drugs
Opiates
Opiates continue to be the most common drug type used
illicitly by those reported to the Scottish Drugs Misuse
Database (
SDMD) as entering drug treatment
services. Of the 10,311 new clients attending such services
in 2002/03 who reported illicit drug use in the past month,
more than four out of five had taken opiates. The three
main forms of opiates used illicitly were heroin (76%),
dihydrocodeine (12%) and methadone (8%). A rise in reported
heroin use has been seen in the past five years (69% in
1998/99 to 76% in 2002/03). By contrast, the use of
dihydrocodeine and methadone has fallen.
Similarly, for hospital discharges involving a diagnosis
of drugs misuse, the drug type most often identified was
opiates. Half of the 4,840 drug-related discharges from
acute general hospitals, and nearly a third of the 1,768
drug-related psychiatric hospital discharges specifically
mentioned opiates.
In May 2003, two-thirds of tests carried out at
reception into prison from courts were positive for the use
of drugs. In a quarter of all the tests administered
opiates were found to be present.
Benzodiazepines
In recent years, diazepam and temazepam were the two
main benzodiazepines reported as having been used illicitly
by those entering drug treatment services. During 2002/03,
more than one in three new clients reported the illicit use
of diazepam, making it the second most common drug after
heroin. The proportion of new clients reporting the use of
diazepam has remained broadly similar over the past five
years. In contrast, reports of temazepam use have fallen
from 14% in 1998/99 to just 4% in 2002/03. This is perhaps
a reflection of the withdrawal of the gel capsule
formulation.
Psychostimulants
The number of cocaine and crack cocaine users who come
into contact with drug treatment services, or who present
at health services with problems attributable to cocaine
use, remains low in comparison with heroin.
In 2002/03, 739 new clients attending a drug treatment
service reported taking cocaine, and 308 taking crack
cocaine. Steady increases in the use of these drugs have,
however, been seen over the past five years. The percentage
of individuals reporting use of cocaine has increased from
2% in 1998/99 to 7% in 2002/03.
The use of crack cocaine has increased from 1% to 3%.
The number of discharges from an acute hospital involving
cocaine more than doubled from 41 (1%) in 1998/99 to 118
(2%) in 2002/03.
Reported use of ecstasy among new people entering drug
treatment services has remained broadly constant at around
5% over recent years (434 individuals in 2002/03).
Statistics are not available regarding discharges from
general acute hospitals with a diagnosis relating to the
misuse of ecstasy. However, the number of discharges
involving stimulants other than cocaine (of which ecstasy
is one) has fallen slightly from 264 (7%) to 240 (5%)
between 1998/99 and 2002/03.
Use of other drugs with opiates
Among those who take opiates, use of other drugs is also
common. In 2002/03, over a third of new individuals coming
into contact with drug treatment services reported illicit
use of diazepam, as well as opiates, in the past month.
This does not imply that both drugs were taken at the same
time. The main other drug reported by opiate users was
cannabis (23%).
Source: Scottish Drug Misuse Database.
ISD Scotland.
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