Drug use: social harm

Use of drugs can have harmful and wide-reaching consequences for individuals, their family and friends as well as communities and the economy. Drug use may lead to physical and psychological harm of the user, but may also incur possible criminal penalty and lead to criminal behaviour. This section describes some of the consequences of drug use on the user's social situation, their family and the wider environment, from a range of different sources.

Perceptions of drug misuse

The public perceive illicit drug use to be a social problem in Scotland. This is reflected in the responses to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey(a large scale social survey about people’s experiences and perceptions of crime) and associated (Tables) (2021/22):

Key Points:

• In 2021/22, victims of crime perceived the offender to be under the influence of drugs in 25% of all crimes including 30% of violent crimes and 34% household theft (Victim Form (crime category breaks) – Table 3.58).
• Adult respondents perceived drug dealing/abuse to be the most common issue in their local area with 45% of people believing it to be very or fairly common. Drug dealing/abuse was identified as the most common of a range of issues in each survey since 2009/10, (Report - Annex Table A1.25).
• There was no significant difference between sexes in the percentage that perceived drug dealing/abuse to be a problem; 46% of women believed that drug dealing/abuse was very or fairly common in their local area compared to 44% of men (Modules A, B, C & D (demographic & geography breaks) - Table 2.21a).
• People living in the most deprived areas were more likely to perceive drug dealing/abuse as very or fairly common in their area (58% of people in the 15% most deprived areas compared to 43% in the remaining areas) (Modules A, B, C & D (demographic & geography breaks) - Table 2.21c).

Scottish Household survey 2022 

The Scottish Household Survey (Tables) (2022) found that 15% of respondents considered drug use or dealing to be fairly or very common in their neighbourhood (Table 2.18).

In 2022, individuals in the most deprived 10% of Scottish neighbourhoods (using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) were more likely to consider drug use/dealing to be a fairly or very common problem in their neighbourhood compared to those in the least deprived 10% of Scottish neighbourhoods (32% and 4% respectively) (Table 2.19).

Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2021/22: Public Attitudes Towards People with Problem Drug Use 

A report on the findings from the 2021/22 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (SSA) conducted between 21 October 2021 and 27 March 2022. 1,130 people aged 16+ were selected at random from 1,043 addresses interviewed.

Key points:

• 19% of people surveyed agreed that individuals ‘have only themselves to blame’ for problem drug use.  
• 91% agreed that ‘it’s in all our interests’ to help people with problem drug use. 
• 50% of people thought that individuals who use heroin come from difficult backgrounds, which has risen from 29% in 2009. Views differed by age, with younger adults (aged 16-34 years) more likely to agree (72%) compared with those aged 65 years and over (35%). 
• 87% felt that individuals who are homeless due to problem drug use are ‘deserving’ of help.  
• 23% of people agreed that ‘most people who use heroin can never stop using drugs completely’ (decrease from 29% in 2009), while 53% disagreed (increased from 44% in 2009). 
• 59% felt comfortable with the prospect of working alongside an individual in recovery of problem drug use ‘getting help to stop using heroin’, while only 30% would be comfortable living next to someone getting help. 32% of people would not feel comfortable living near someone getting help to stop using heroin (decrease from 49% in 2009).  
• 3% thought individuals with problem drug use posed ‘no risk’ to the safety of others, while 38% think they pose a ‘small risk,’ 41% a ‘moderate risk’ and 17% ‘a big risk’. 
• 57% of people thought that young children (aged 5) living with parental heroin use should be temporarily looked after until the parent is in recovery (decrease from 64% in 2009). 
• 66% agreed that individuals ‘should not be prosecuted for possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own use’ (an increase from 34% in 2009). While 42% agreed and 36% disagreed that individuals possessing heroin for personal use ‘should not be prosecuted’ (16% agreeing and 74% disagreeing in 2009). 
• There were several key factors associated with less stigmatising attitudes towards people with problem drug use: those who had themselves tried illegal drugs before in their lives; those who have been educated to degree level and those who believed that problem drug use was a societal problem as opposed to that of an individual. 

Drug-related offences

The number of drug offences for 2014/15 to 2023/24 is published in the annual Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24 report from the Scottish Government Justice Analytical services. [tables]

Key points: 

• In the financial year 2023/24 there were 25,344 drug offences recorded by Police Scotland; a 4% decrease compared to the previous year (2022/23; 26,443). This was the lowest annual number of recorded drug offences in the available time series and the third successive year in which fewer than 30,000 drug offences were recorded (from 2014/15 to 2021/22, between 32,000 and 36,000 offences were recorded each year) (Table A9).
• Among the drug offences recorded in 2023/24, 83% (21,121) were for 'possession of drugs' and 14% (3,587) were for 'possession of drugs with intent to supply' (Table A9).
• In 2023/24, 89% of drug supply offences were ‘cleared up’ by police (i.e. criminal proceedings were considered). This percentage was similar to the year before (2022/23: 89%). 94% of drug possession offences were ‘cleared up’, a decrease compared to the previous year (101%) (Table 3).

 Recorded drug offence data from 2014/15 to 2023/234at the local authority level are now available within the published tables.  

Key points: 

• In 2023/24, the rate of recorded drug possession offences for Scotland was 39 per 10,000 population. Local authority area rates ranged from 74 offences per 10,000 population in Glasgow City to 16 offences per 10,000 in East Renfrewshire and Angus (Table 4).
• The rate of recorded drug supply offences was 8 per 10,000 population, ranging from 15 offences per 10,000 in Glasgow City to 1 per 10,000 in Na h-Eileanan Siar (Table 4).

The Scottish Government Justice Department has published the statistics release Homicide in Scotland 2022/23 (Tables).

Key points:

• In 2022/23, there were 52 victims of homicide in Scotland. This was similar to the year before (2021/22: 53), and the lowest recorded in the available time series (2003/04 to 2020/21: range 59 to 137) (Table 1).
• In 34 (65%) of these cases the motive was drug-related. Since 2020/21 at least 65% of victims of homicide were involved in cases where the motive was drug-related, compared to fewer than 15% during the period 2013/14 to 2015/16. Police Scotland advised that this increase may be due at least in part to an improvement in recording practices (Table 13 and report). 
• In solved drug-related homicide cases, 25 (74%) of the victims were male. Male victims of drug-related homicide accounted for 48% of all solved homicides (Table 13). 
• Of the 73 people accused in homicide cases in 2022/23, 22% were reported to have been under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (alcohol alone: 15%, drugs alone: 1%, drug and alcohol: 5%). It was not known whether the remaining 78% were under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Table 15). 

Court Activity and Sentencing

Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021/22 (Tables), published annually by the Scottish Government, provides statistics on cases dealt with by the criminal courts, sentencing outcomes, alternatives to prosecution, and the characteristics of people proceeded against. The key points below summarise information on drug crime proceedings from the 2021/22 report published in October 2023. This includes crimes of possession, possession with intent to supply and other crimes such as illegal importation and production. These statistics do not include crimes committed under the influence of drugs.  

Note, for 2021/22, the figures for some categories dealt with by the High Court (including major drug cases) may be underestimated slightly due to the late recording of disposals. Also, these figures demonstrate the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the justice system as this period spanned the early stages of the vaccine rollout, reduced court capacities due to physical distancing measures and delays to proceedings due to COVID-19 positive isolation. Whilst overall volumes in 2021/22 showed an increase over the 2020/21 figures, they remained below a typical pre-pandemic year.  

Key points: 

• In 2021/22, a total of 2,698 people were convicted in proceedings where a drugs offence was the main charge. This represented 86% of all drugs proceedings (Table 2). If an individual was subject to more than one separate proceeding where a drugs offence was the main charge, they will be counted more than once in this total. 
• In 2021/22, there was a 29% increase in the number of convictions for drug crimes (2,698), compared to 2020/21 (2,097). However, the substantial decrease in the number of convictions for drug crimes in 2020/21 (2,097) compared to 2019/20 (4,468) was likely to be associated with the impact of COVID-19. Since 2015/16, the number of convictions for drug crimes has been decreasing (2015/16: 7,144), while the conviction rate has remained fairly stable (between 84% and 89%). (Table 3b and 3c). 
• In 2021/22, males accounted for 87% of drugs convictions (2,355). Men aged 21-30 years accounted for 36% (846) of males convicted of drug offences, compared to men aged 31-40 years (30%, 711) and men aged 40 years and over (27%, 634). Seven percent (164) of males convicted of drug offences were aged under 21 years (Table 5b). 
• In 2021/22, of the 2,698 drug offence convictions, 978 (36%) resulted in the individual being fined, 506 (19%) resulted in a Community Payback Order, 462 (17%) resulted in admonition and 421 (16%) resulted in a custodial sentence (i.e. in prison, a young offenders institution, a supervised release order or extended sentence) (Table 7a). This pattern was broadly comparable with the penalties imposed for all (including non-drug) convictions. 
• The average length of a custodial sentence for a drug offence was 651 days (approximately 22 months) for supply of drugs and 118 days for possession (approximately 4 months; Table 9c). 

Detailed data on drug-related criminal proceedings in Scotland from 2012/13 to 2021/22 has also been made available (Drug Related Criminal Proceedings 2021/22 31kb)

Key points:

• In 2021/22, there were 2,698 people convicted in cases where a drug offence was the main charge. Of these convictions, 51% were for Class A drugs (e.g. cocaine, ecstasy, heroin), 35% for Class B drugs (e.g. amphetamines, cannabis) and 8% for Class C drugs (e.g. anabolic steroids, diazepam), For the remaining 6% of convictions, the drug type was unknown (Table C2).
• For people convicted of possession with intent to supply, the use of community sentences has gradually increased over time of convictions in 2012/13 to 53% in 2021/22, while the use of custodial sentences (any length) decreased from 53% in 2012/13 to 34% in 2021/22. Across all years, the most common sentence for possession was a financial penalty (54% in 2021/22) (Table C3).
• The average age of people convicted of possession with intent to supply remained the same from 2012/13 to 2021/22 (33 years). However, the average age of people convicted of possession has increased from 31 years in 2012/13 to 35 years in 2021/22 (Table C

The 2022/23 Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland report was published by the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services in January 2024 (Tables 145kb). 

Key points:

Social Work Diversion Schemes aim to provide people accused of minor offences with support and advice in relation to problems associated with their offending. In such cases, prosecution is waived, subject to successful completion of the scheme. 

• In Scotland, 4,784 referrals to diversion from prosecution schemes were made in 2022/23, resulting in 4,409 assessments being undertaken and 2,624 cases being commenced (Table 3). The number of cases commenced was broadly similar to 2021/22 (2,673).
• Of the 2,624 cases commenced in 2022/23, 83 cases (3%) were referred for drug treatment/education. This percentage was broadly similar in 2021/22, when 62 (2%) of 2,673 cases commenced resulted in a referral for drug treatment/education (Table 3). The number of cases referred to drug treatment/education remains low overall. The reasons for this are not known. 

Community Payback Orders (CPOs) are a sentence of the court that were introduced from 1 February 2011. There are currently up to ten different requirements which can be issued with a CPO, including drug treatment.

• In 2022/23, there were 14,653 CPOs commenced in Scotland. This was an increase from the year before (2021/22: 12,171 CPOs) (Table 2).
• 117 (0.8%) CPOs imposed in 2022/23 included a requirement for the offender to attend drug treatment. This was similar to 2021/22 (114, 0.9%) (Table 10). The number of CPOs with a drug treatment requirement remains low overall. The reasons for this are not known. 

A Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) is a high-tariff community sentence for people with problematic drug use who have committed criminal offences and might otherwise have received a custodial sentence. This order includes a requirement for regular reviews by the court, attendance at specialist drug treatment services and frequent drug testing throughout the lifetime of the order. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of court cases could not be conducted resulting in lower number of DTTOs commenced in both 2020/21 and 2021/22 than in pre-pandemic years. 

• In 2022/23, there were 301 DTTOs imposed in Scotland. This was a decrease compared to 2021/22 when 368 orders were imposed and remained well below the range of approximately 500 to 600 DTTOs imposed each year between from 2014/15 to 2019/20 (Table 2, Chart 7).  The fall in DTTOs in 2022/23 was primarily due to the suspension of the Edinburgh DTTO service for new assessments and orders, caused by significant clinical staffing issues.  
• In 2022/23, the majority of DTTOs (251, 83%) were imposed on males and those who were unemployed (209, 69%). The most common age group among people sentenced to a DTTO in 2022/23 was 31 to 40 years (123, 41%). The percentage of those receiving DTTOs who were over 40 increased from 20% in 2017/18 to 39% in 2022/23 (Table 19). 
• In 2022/23, the average length of DTTOs imposed was 18 months. This figure has remained stable throughout the time series from 2013/14 to 2022/23, with the average length of DTTOs ranging between 17 and 18 months each year (Table 19).
• A total of 324  DTTOs were terminated during 2022/23. Of those terminations, 160 (50%) were due to the DTTO being successfully completed, 83 (26%) were revoked due to review, and 46 (14%) were revoked due to breach (Table 21). 

The publication Reconviction Rates in Scotland: 2020/21 Offender Cohort (Tables (223Kb)) reports on those convicted in 2020/21 and then subsequently reconvicted within one year. This publication uses two data sources to determine reconviction up to one year after the index offence (Scottish Offenders Index) and up to ten years before the index offence (Criminal Proceedings data). Tables 20 and 21 are compiled on a different basis to tables 1-13. It counts individuals convicted in 2021/22, and counts their previous convictions over 10 years.

Data from the 2020/21 cohort reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the justice system, including changes in offending behaviour, crime reporting, case processing times, and court capacity. These figures, influenced by pandemic-related disruptions, are not indicative of longer-term trends and should be interpreted with caution.

 Key points:

Scottish Offenders Index data

• In 2020/21, 21,100 individuals were released from a custodial sentence or given a non-custodial sentence. Of these, 27% were reconvicted within one year, a slight increase from the 2019/20 cohort (24%). Among the 2020/21 cohort, the average number of reconvictions per offender was 0.44, similar to the 2019/20 cohort (0.41) (Table 1). 
• In 2020/21, 2,001 individuals were released from a custodial sentence or given non-custodial sentences for drug offences. Of these, 19% were reconvicted for an offence within one year, with an average of 0.28 reconvictions per offender. Throughout the observed time series from 1997/98 to 2020/21, spanning 24 years, the 2020/21 drug cohort had the lowest figures for number of offenders, the percentage reconvicted and the reconviction rate. This decrease in cohort size is attributed to the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system (Table 6).
• Among the 2,001 individuals released from a custodial sentence or given non-custodial sentences for a drug offence in 2020/21, reconvictions for non-sexual crimes of violence (8%), further drug offences (6%), and other crimes and offences (6%) were most common (Table 7).
• Among the 110 offenders given a Drug Testing and Treatment Order (DTTO), the reconviction rate was 57% and the average number of reconvictions per offender was 0.98. Both the reconviction rate and the average number of reconvictions per offender were broadly similar to 2019/20 (57% and 1.19 respectively) (Table 9).

Criminal Proceedings data

• Of the 27,331 individuals convicted in 2021/22, 66% had at least one previous conviction in the past ten years, with 13% having over ten previous convictions (Table 21). Of these, 18% (4,937) had been convicted of drug offences in the past ten years (Table 20).
• Of the 4,937individuals convicted of drug offences in the past ten years, 83% had been convicted of '1 or 2' drug offences, while 17% had been convicted of three or more drug offences (Table 20).
• Of the 4,937 individuals convicted of drug offences in the past ten years, 70% were aged over 30, and 89% were male (Table 20).
• Comparing 2021/22 figures with the earliest available previous offending statistics (the 2010/11 cohort of convicted individuals) shows some changes over time. The percentage previously convicted of drug offences (18% in 2021/22) was lower than in 2010/11 (11,733 out of 43,974; 27%). Also, among those previously convicted of drug offences, the percentage with three or more previous drug offences (17% in 2021/22) was lower than in 2010/11 (3,923 out of 11,733; 33%) (Table 19 (270Kb)).