Drug-related hospital statistics
Scotland 2024 to 2025

About this release

This annual release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on inpatient or day case admissions (stays) that occur within NHS Scotland hospitals in relation to controlled drug use (substances for which manufacture, possession and use are regulated by government, due to their potential for abuse or harm). This release includes information on stays in general acute and psychiatric specialties for financial years 1996/97 to 2024/25.

The topics covered include: the number of inpatient stays, the number and characteristics of patients admitted to hospital, substances used and geographical variations. These data are published in a full report and dashboard.

Main points

In 2024/25:

• There were 10,185 drug-related hospital stays (2023/24: 11,148). The European Age-sex Standardised Rate (EASR, see background below for more information) of drug-related hospital stays was 192 stays per 100,000 population. This rate was a decrease from 2023/24 (212 stays per 100,000 population) and continued the decreasing trend observed in hospital stays since 2020/21.
• In relation to drug types, the highest hospital stay rate was for stays attributed to opioids (75 per 100,000 population). Although opioids remained the most commonly reported drug type in 2024/25, this rate was lower than in 2023/24 (91 per 100,000) and comparable to 2006/07 (74 per 100,000), indicating a 20-year low. Rates for many of the most common drug groups have also decreased markedly since 2019/20.
• Opioid-related stays accounted for 38% of all drug-related stays, the lowest percentage in the time series, continuing a steady decrease from 64% in 2011/12.
• The highest patient rate was among people aged 35 to 44 years (328 per 100,000 population), followed by people aged 45 to 54 years (292 per 100,000). Patient rates for 35 to 44 year-olds decreased compared to 2023/24 (372 per 100,000 population) and were the lowest for this age group in over a decade (2014/15: 342 per 100,000).
• Just under half (49%) of patients with a drug-related hospital stay lived in the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland, as measured using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
• The rate of stays for drug poisoning/overdose decreased to 21 stays per 100,000 population, from 27 stays per 100,000 population in 2023/24, and was the lowest rate observed since 2006/07 (21 stays per 100,000). For the fifth consecutive year, the most common drugs associated with stays for drug poisoning/overdoses were sedatives/hypnotics, followed by opioids. Decreases in overall overdose rates were in line with decreases in sedatives/hypnotics and opioids.

The chart shows the change in time between 1996/97 and 2024/25 in the rate of hospital stays in all hospitals, as well as the change in general acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals. There is an increase in all hospitals and in general acute hospitals over time, with a marked, steady increase from 2012/13 to 2019/20. Between 2019/20 and 2022/23, there have been three consecutive years of declining rates, but increases in 2023/24. In 2024/25 there have been decreases in rate of hospital stays. The number of psychiatric stays varies between 28 and 40 stays per 100,000 over the 25-year period. The current stay rate across all hospitals in 2024/25 is 192 stays per 100,000 population. Source: SMR01 and SMR04 records combined

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Drug-related stay rates by hospital type (Scotland: 1996/97 to 2024/25*)

*Provisional

Background

These statistics provide information on all inpatient and day cases (excluding maternity, neonatal and geriatric long stay) discharged from general acute and psychiatric hospitals (including paediatric facilities) in Scotland, where drug use was recorded as a diagnosis at some point during the patient’s hospital stay. They provide valuable insights into trends in substance use, hospital utilisation patterns, and the changing characteristics of drug-related stays, patients and harms over time.

Hospital activity data are based on information routinely drawn from hospital administrative systems across NHSScotland. The information reported in this publication is a combination of data from the following sources: general acute inpatient and day case records (SMR01), years 1996/97 to 2024/25 and psychiatric inpatient and day case records (SMR04), years 1996/97 to 2024/25.

Rates referred to in this publication are European Age-sex Standardised Rates (EASR) per 100,000 population. EASRs are used in instances where rates differ by age and sex, leading to problems making comparisons over time as the population age-sex structure changes. EASRs allow valid comparisons to be made between local areas and other countries with differing population age-sex structures.

A 'stay' refers to a continuous period of time spent in a hospital setting. A 'patient' is an individual admitted to hospital. Each patient may have more than one stay within a financial year.

The definition of a drug-related hospital stay includes drug poisonings/overdoses and mental & behavioural stays.

For further information on the ICD10 codes used to define these groups, please refer to Appendix 1 - Methods, within our full report.

For further background information, methods and glossary of terms please refer to the full report.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be Winter 2026.