Professor John Robertson OBA

From Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly ​report
April 2025:

There were 251 suspected drug deaths, 17% higher than in the previous 12-week period (215). This was 12% lower than the same period commencing in December 2022 (285) and 17% lower than in the same period commencing in December 2023 (304).

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report-april-2025/harm-indicators/suspected-drug-deaths/

The one-quarter variation is not significant but the trend is clearly down, with weekly lows hovering around 15 deaths per week since early 2024 as opposed to 20 before that.

This positive trend is being limited by the recent flow of cheap, powerful, new drugs, being aggressively sold by English gangs in parts of Scotland formerly less affected by the deadly trade. See:

A clear causal connection between Liverpool drug gangs, the flood of cheap, more powerful, drugs into Scotland and our still far too high drug deaths. Why are Scotland’s media ignoring that?