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.