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Big rise in drugs related deaths in the Highlands





Councillor Richard Laird
Councillor Richard Laird

The number of residents in the Highlands killed by drugs has doubled over the last two years, according to statistics published yesterday.

Figures from the National Records of Scotland show that there were 35 drug-related deaths within the NHS Highland area during 2015 compared to 18 in 2013. Ten years ago, the figure was 13.

The revelation comes following the news that the national figures have reached a record high. The effect of drug misuse on older users is believed to be a significant contributor to the increase.

Highland councillor Richard Laird said: "Every death is a sad event for the family and friends of the person involved. Unfortunately, these figures show that these events are more frequent than ever before."

"It seems that the first generation of heroin addicts is suffering from the combined effects of their addiction and their age. The only good news here is that the rate of drug-related deaths in younger people is dropping."


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