DISAPPOINTMENT OVER DEATHS DUE TO DRUG MISUSE

A consultant in public health medicine last night said it was
"disappointing" the number of drug-related deaths in the north-east
had not decreased in the first half of the year.

Figures released by Gram-pian Police revealed 24 people died from
drugs in the first six months of 2008, mostly in the Aberdeen area.

Dr Maria Rossi said the Grampian area's three Alcohol and Drug Action
Teams were continuing their efforts to address the "tragic waste of
life".

The number of reported drug-related deaths in the north-east has
varied from 23 to 49 over the past seven years -- an average of 39.

Dr Rossi said drug misuse was always a potentially high-risk activity
and warned there could be wide-ranging consequences.

She said: "Individual reactions to the illicit use of drugs can be
unpredictable, and when substances are taken together the potential
for harm increases dramatically.

"Every single drug-related death is a tragic waste of life, which
causes considerable distress and upset to family, friends and
professionals involved. While disappointing that the number of these
preventable deaths are not significantly decreasing, efforts continue
on several fronts to address this."

Dr Rossi said work at a local and national level focused on getting
users out of the cycle of substance misuse by helping people recognise
their problem, promoting harm reduction methods, improving access to
needle exchanges and facilitating better support.

However, she stressed effort was also required on the part of users
themselves.

Dr Rossi added it was equally important to reduce the demand for
illegal drugs as a long-term objective through engagement and
education of the younger generations.

Inspector David Smith, substance misuse co-ordinator at Grampian
Police, said there were several important areas to focus their work
on.

"Education and prevention, harm reduction and treatment, together with
enforcement, all form vital parts of the significant efforts made by
the three teams in Grampian to address substance misuse," he said.

He also stressed the importance of contacting emergency services and
using basic first-aid in potentially life-threatening situations.