Scotland remains drug deaths capital of Europe

National Records of Scotland yesterday published Drug-related deaths in Scotland 2025 – in 2025, 1,133 drug use deaths were registered, up 11% (116 deaths) on 2024. Male drug use deaths were about triple those for females in 2025. The age profile of drug use deaths is older: from 32 years in 2000 to 46 years in 2025. Opiates/opioids were implicated in 78% and cocaine in 52% of drug deaths. See Scotland vs Europe drug deaths.