Drug-related deaths among recently released prisoners in the Strathclyde region of Scotland

Drug abuse and its consequences are everyday problems encountered globally, and Scotland is no exception. During a study of drug-related deaths in the Strathclyde region of Scotland it was noted that known drug users who had recently been released from prison were at high risk of dying from a drug o verdose. The majority of deaths occurred within one week of the release dat e and polydrug use was prevalent. Morphine was the most frequently encounte red drugs and this was found in combination with benzodiazepines in a signi ficant number of cases. This paper highlights the dangers of resuming drug consumption following a period of abstinence.