Scotland has become firmly established as the drug fatality capital of EuropePeople with addiction problems will be given smartphones under radical plans to tackle Scotland’s drug death crisis. The country has become firmly established as the drug fatality capital of Europe, with a record 1,262 deaths in 2019 — double the number recorded in 2014. According to National Records of Scotland, the rate of drug-related deaths is about three-and-a-half times higher than the UK as a whole. SponsoredThe Scottish government has convened a drug deaths task force which has recommended that mobile phones and internet data bundles be given to more than 2,000 individuals struggling with addiction. The near £3 million digital inclusion programme hopes to ensure that “people at risk from drug-related harm stay connected to life-saving services”.

Source: The Times July 11, 2021 23:02 UTC