NEW statistics reveal rising drug related hospital admissions and emergency department attendances in Dumfries and Galloway.
For the period June 3 to September 1 this year, the number of drug-related attendances at the region’s accident and emergency departments increased by 43 per cent, compared to the previous 13 weeks.
Meanwhile, Naloxone administration incidents by the Scottish Ambulance Service in the area increased by 94 per cent. Drug related hospital admissions rose, with a total of 53 admissions from April 1 to June 30, 19 per cent more compared to the previous 13 weeks.
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth believes Dumfries and Galloway still has work to do on addressing drug issues, and has demanded action to tackle the issue.
Mr Smyth said: “These figures really hammer home how drugs continue to have such a devastating impact on our communities.
“The figures for Dumfries and Galloway show a deeply worrying jump in drug-related A and E admissions this quarter and this reveals, like many other places in Scotland, the impact drugs have on many peoples’ lives.
“For too long, the Scottish Government took its eye off the ball on drugs with tragic and disastrous results.
“Cuts in funding for rehab a few years ago are still taking a heavy toll, and just with any disease, we urgently need to see more investment to treat what is ultimately a health crisis.
“Unless we tackle the underlying causes of this disease such as poverty, poor housing, and the shocking education attainment gap, then we will fail to get to grips on the crisis.”
