A rise in the number of drugs-related deaths in Fife has been describer by an MSP as "horrifying and heart-breaking".

Roz McCall, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, raised concerns following the publication of the latest statistics published by National Records Scotland, which showed people from Fife dying due to drugs issues was at its highest since 2019.

The quarter ending December 2023 alone saw 21 drug-related deaths across the Kingdom.

Ms McCall said: ‘’These latest statistics are horrifying and heart-breaking. Behind every number is a lost loved one and a broken family.


“These shocking figures alone cannot capture the agony, pain and devastation that the drugs crisis is causing in communities across Scotland and here in Fife where we have since numbers stubbornly high.

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“The drugs crisis is our national shame. It is a stain on Scotland that so many of our most vulnerable people have been left without hope, crushed by a system that is thoroughly broken.”

Scotland’s drug death rate is still the worst in Europe.

Ms McCall added: “This is not a day for political posturing but it is a simple fact that the government’s small steps are not cutting it. The crisis is getting worse and spiralling out of control. We need a united national effort to make the drastic changes necessary to overhaul the broken system.

“The Scottish Conservatives are bringing forward a Right to Recovery Bill to guarantee in law that everyone who needs treatment can get it. This proposal has the backing of frontline groups and experts across the political spectrum. SNP MSPs are reportedly on board privately. We only need the government to wake up, stop stalling and support it.

“Overnight, we won’t end this crisis. But we can start on the right path today and take the necessary action now, if the government throws their weight behind this proposal.”

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The Scottish Government's Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister, Christina McKelvie, said: “Drug deaths in Scotland are still too high and every life lost is a tragedy. I am focused on working across Government, Parliament and beyond, to reduce deaths and improve lives."

She said the £250 million National Mission on Drugs was supporting more than 300 grassroots projects, residential rehabilitation capacity continued to be expanded and there was a commitment to deliver drug-checking facilities

Ms McKelvie added that the Government was also working hard to respond to the growing threat posed by "super-strong synthetic opioids" which brought with them increased risks of overdose, hospitalisation and death.