Question reference: S6W-05022
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 14 December 2021
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 January 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Drugs Policy on 17 June 2021 about Public Health Scotland’s ongoing surveillance work (Official Report, c.57), how many people (a) have died and (b) were admitted to hospital in connection with the consumption of (i) isotonitazene and (ii) other synthetic opioids in 2021, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Unfortunately, we do not hold the information requested.
National Records of Scotland produce an annual National Statistics publication each year on drug-related deaths in Scotland. The most recent year for which this drug death information is available is 2020. The next report, covering drug-related deaths during 2021, is due to be published in summer 2022.
Public Health Scotland information on hospital activity relating to illicit drug use in Scotland does not identify the substances specified - heroin and methadone are the only opioids with specific ICD-10 diagnostic codes (ICD-10 refers to ‘International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, the international standard diagnostic classification for all general epidemiological, health management purposes and clinical use).