Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: October to December 2024

3. Main points

Note: Q1 is January to March, Q2 is April to June, Q3 is July to September, Q4 is October to December. Source: Police Scotland.

During 2024:

• There were 1,065 suspected drug deaths, 11% (132) fewer than in 2023.
• Males accounted for 74% of suspected drug deaths. This is broadly in line with previous periods.
• There were 280 suspected drug deaths of females, a decrease of 13% (42) compared to 2023.
• A majority (64%) of suspected drug deaths were of people aged between 35 and 54 years. This is broadly in line with previous periods.
• There were 34 suspected drug deaths in the under 25 age group, 37% (20) fewer than in 2023.
• The Police Divisions with the greatest number of suspected drug deaths were: Greater Glasgow (236), Lanarkshire (127) and Edinburgh City (92).

For quarter 4, October to December 2024:

• There were 232 suspected drug deaths recorded, 5% (12) fewer than between July to September 2024 (244), and 22% (65) fewer than the same calendar quarter in the previous year (October to December 2023; 297).
• This is one of the lowest numbers of suspected drug deaths recorded in a single calendar quarter since the start of the time series in 2017.

Note that numbers of suspected drug deaths fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Care should be taken not to interpret movements between individual calendar quarters as indicative of any long term trend.

More detail on the statistics presented above is available in the workbook presented alongside this report.