The “enormous ferocity” of synthetic opioids means Scotland faces a “growing challenge” when it comes to tackling drugs deaths, the First Minister has said.
John Swinney said that the “increasing level of toxicity of drugs that are being circulated within our society” was adding to the difficulties.
His comments came after health body Public Health Scotland last year issued a warning on synthetic opioids nitazenes – which can be much stronger than other substances – after the drugs were detected in 38 deaths over a three-month period.
These are synthetic opioids of enormous ferocity in their impact on people who are using drugs
The latest official figures showed Scotland recorded 1,017 drugs deaths in 2024 – with the country still having the worst rate of drugs deaths in Europe, despite a fall in fatalities.
Asked about the issue at backbench First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Mr Swinney spoke about the “significant challenge of drugs death within our society”, adding the number of deaths is “disproportionately higher than in any other jurisdiction in Western Europe”.
He told MSPs: “We are experiencing an upsurge in drugs deaths as a result of an increasing level of toxicity of drugs that are being circulated within our society.
“These are synthetic opioids of enormous ferocity in their impact on people who are using drugs.
“So we face an acute challenge already, but a growing challenge.”
He had been asked about drugs deaths by Reform UK’s Scottish deputy leader Thomas Kerr, whose own father died as a result of drugs in 2016.
Mr Kerr said: “In 2016, 867 people died in Scotland due to a drug-related death.
“That figure is engraved in my mind because it included my dad, and since then we have seen these numbers hit record highs.”
He demanded to know “how many more lives need to be lost before this government takes urgent action”?
The First Minister offered his condolences to the Reform MSP for his father’s death, as he said the Scottish Government was “investing heavily in increasing rehabilitation services in Scotland”.
He added that the Thistle safer drugs consumption room in Glasgow had “helped to avoid over a hundreds drugs deaths”, saying staff there had “intervened in over 100 medical emergencies where people were at risk of losing their lives”.