A SENIOR figure at an Inverclyde drug abuse charity has warned addiction is still ‘as bad as ever’ in the district despite a drop in local deaths due to drug misuse.

National Records of Scotland data published yesterday showed that there were 26 drug-related deaths in the area in 2023, three fewer than the previous year’s total.

In almost all of the deaths recorded locally, some form of opiate or opioid was implicated.

Benzodiazepines were involved in 17 of the deaths, while bromazolam was identified in 15 cases.

William Carter, an outreach worker and team leader at Teen Challenge Strathclyde, told the Telegraph that local streets were ‘awash’ with crack cocaine, as well as other dangerous substances such as street Valium and fentanyl.

(Image: Duncan Bryceland)

He has called for more money to be funnelled into grassroots organisations to help combat addiction.

He said: “I think it’s still as bad as ever. I don’t think the stats show enough of the problem that’s going on in Inverclyde.

“Yes, it’s down in terms of a couple of lives this year, but the problem is still there and it’s still very real.

“Addiction is still very active in the Inverclyde area.

“We need to raise awareness and let people know, we need more support networks on the go for these people.”

William, who himself was addicted to drugs for 17 years, turned his life around after being persuaded to visit the local Teen Challenge bus.

He says his story proves that there is a light at the end of the tunnel through addiction services.

He added: “We’ve helped five people get to rehabilitation in Inverclyde over the past year, that’s five people saved from the grips of addiction.

“They need to pour money into grassroot organisations, charity organisations like Teen Challenge, who are out on the streets at a grassroot level.

“It’s alright pouring money in but it doesn’t seem to be filtering down to grassroots level, we could be doing a lot more if we could get more funding from the Scottish Government.

“There’s an army here who’s willing to go and fight this battle we just need better resources to do it.”

The national data revealed that people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland were more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse than in the least deprived areas.

Figures for the whole of Scotland showed that 1,172 people died due to drug misuse in 2023, an increase of 121 on the previous 12 months.

Inverclyde’s MP Martin McCluskey pointed out that Inverclyde’s total was more than 50 per cent higher than the figure recorded a decade ago, and said many of those deaths would have been preventable.

(Image: George Munro)

He added: “Every preventable death from drugs is a tragedy and represents the loss of a loved one for too many families in Inverclyde.

“While any reduction in deaths is welcome, there should be no congratulations about these figures.

He continued: “Our area still has deaths above the Scottish average.

“Across Scotland, more than 1,100 people died and people in the poorest areas of Scotland are 15 times more likely to die from drug misuse than in the least deprived areas.

“The Scottish Government need to listen to calls from families and campaigners to provide services that can make a difference - like increasing residential rehab beds and properly funding public health measures which have been badly left behind.”

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan also expressed his condolences to those who had lost a loved one to drug misuse and described the figures for Scotland as a whole as ‘deeply concerning’.

(Image: Stuart McMillan MSP)

He said: “There will be many reasons for this sad increase including the stubborn nature of the cost-of-living crisis. The National Records of Scotland report states that the ‘association of deprivation with drug misuse deaths is much greater than with other causes of death’.

 “Once again then, questions come back to how we tackle the root causes of poverty and deprivation, as people in the most deprived areas of Scotland are more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to people in the least deprived areas.”

The SNP politician also acknowledged the drop in local figures, saying: “I believe this reduction can be attributed to a variety of factors including the investment coming to the area to support services and organisations to continue to deliver and expand upon the recovery treatment and programmes they offer.”

He added: “I am working to bring together a range of local stakeholders within the recovery sector to meet with the Scottish Government to talk about the work taking place in Inverclyde to reduce drug-related harm, but also to highlight the wider challenges facing our community, such as deprivation.

“We will only be able to get to grips with drug misuse deaths by addressing the root causes that often lead to an individual misusing drugs.”