Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Scots drink-related deaths have more than doubled in the last 15 years, figures revealed today.
In 1990 the country saw 657 alcohol-related fatalities but that number had risen to 1513 by last year.
Greater Glasgow was the worst affected with 376 deaths last year.
In 1998 the figure was 319 - and during the intervening years the death toll was higher, reaching 406 in 2003.
Lothian health board had 221 drink-related deaths last year, the then Argyll & Clyde health board had 177, Lanarkshire 184 and Fife 76.
Heroin and morphine deaths in Scotland have increased by 35% since 1999 and totalled 225 in 2004, according to statistics given to SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson in response to a parliamentary question.
In 1996 the total was just 84.
There were similar increases in deaths involving the drug ecstasy, which claimed nine lives in 1996 but 17 in 2004.
Deaths involving amphetamines also went up, from five in 1996 to 10 in 2004.
SNP shadow health minister Shona Robison said: "The fact more people are dying from drink as well as drug-related deaths should come as a stark warning that we have a lot of work still to do."
Categories [Health and Community Care]
to read the orginal story click on:
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5056579.html
Reproduced with permission from The Herald (Glasgow) © Newsquest (Herald & Times) Ltd
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
